Love Coffee? It May Offer New Additional Health Benefits, According to Researchers
Updated: Apr. 10, 2023
A new study suggests surprising health benefits for coffee lovers everywhere. Could coffee actually be healthy?
There are a lot of mixed messages surrounding coffee. Is coffee good for you? Bad for you? Can you drink too much? Well, coffee lovers, there’s some good news. New research published in BMJ Medicine suggests another surprising health benefit to your daily cup of joe: reducing body fat and cutting the risk of diabetes.
How Does Coffee Cut Diabetes Risk?
Moderate coffee consumption of three to five cups a day has previously been associated with a lower risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The results of this new study are consistent with previous research and show that coffee helps boost metabolism.
In this study, researchers examined genetic data from about 10,000 people of European ancestry. They found that people who had higher levels of caffeine in their blood were more likely to have a lower body mass index (BMI) and body fat. These people also showed a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. The risk of developing type 2 diabetes appeared to drop by about 7% for each cup of caffeinated coffee consumed per day (with the risk dropping by 6% for each cup of non-caffeinated coffee).
What Are Other Health Benefits to Drinking Coffee?
We already know that coffee is full of antioxidants and may help reduce inflammation in the body. In fact, it may be one of the prime sources of antioxidants in the Western diet. “Coffee is one of the most plentiful and consistent sources of cell-protecting antioxidants since many people consume it daily,” says Dana Angelo White, RD, a certified athletic trainer in Fairfield, Connecticut. Other studies have suggested that coffee drinking may also reduce cancer risk, reduce the risk of depression, aid mental focus and improve athletic performance.
Further study is needed before doctors will begin “prescribing” more cups of joe in patients’ diets. But the evidence is growing that coffee is healthy. The key, as with most things, is moderation.
Get The Healthy @Reader’s Digest newsletter and follow The Healthy on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Keep reading:
