Coffee may cut diabetes risk in postmenopausal women

In postmenopausal women, drinking coffee-especially the decaffeinated brew-is inversely associated with the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a study in the June 26 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Mark A. Pereira, PhD, and colleagues at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, analyzed data from the 1986–1997 Iowa Women's Health Study, which included 28,812 postmenopausal women who did not have diabetes or cardiovascular disease. The women's daily coffee intake was divided into five groups: none, less than one cup a day, one to three cups, four to five cups, and six or more cups.

By the end of the study period, 1,418 cases of diabetes had occurred, and women who drank six or more cups of coffee a day had a 22% lower incidence compared to those who drank no coffee. The association was with the coffee itself, rather than caffeine intake, as it was most strongly associated with decaffeinated coffee. Moreover, there was no association between caffeine intake from all sources and diabetes, nor with intake of magnesium and phytate.

Pereira MA, Parker ED, Folsom AR. Coffee consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: an 11-year prospective study of 28,812 postmenopausal women. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166:1311-1316.