Coffee ‘can lower risk of getting diabetes’

DRINKING coffee regularly may reduce body fat and lower your risk of getting type 2 diabetes, a study suggests.

Researchers looked at genes, which determine how fast people process caffeine, in more than 800,000 people.

Those who appeared to process it more slowly had a significantly lower body mass index and body fat percentage, plus they were less likely to develop type 2 diabetes.

Coffee has long been considered to help burn fat and keep people slimmer, while previous studies have suggested people who drink three to five cups of coffee a day are less likely to get type 2 diabetes.

But the new study was needed because it was unclear if coffee drinkers were benefiting from caffeine or avoiding type 2 diabetes for other reasons – for example, because they tend to

‘It may improve metabolism’

be middle-class, so can afford a healthier lifestyle.

The latest research, published in the journal BMJ Medicine, avoided this problem by looking specifically at people with genetic quirks affecting how the body processes caffeine.

The people who processed caffeine more slowly would typically have a high level of caffeine in their blood.

Dr Dipender Gill, senior author of the study, from Imperial College London, said: ‘These results suggest caffeine may be linked to a lower body mass index, lower body fat and a reduced likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes.

‘It may improve people’s metabolism, although this doesn’t mean people should go out and drink lots of high- calorie caffeinated drinks like chai lattes.

‘If there is more evidence from larger trials in the future, it may suggest that people should consider drinking espressos or black coffee to reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes.’