New research reveals how coffee and tea may influence the risk of early death in adults with diabetes. According to the study, if you suffer from diabetes type 2, drinking more coffee, tea or plain water can reduce about 25% the risk of premature death for any cause. However, drink more sugary drinks increases the risk of heart disease by 25 percent and the risk of dying from a heart attack or other cardiovascular event by 29 percent, according to the study. Research has shown that cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death for people with type 2 diabetes.
“Some drinks are absolutely more beneficial than others, depending on the type of drink you’re comparing,” said the study author. Qi Sun, associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health in Boston. “Based on our study, I would rank black coffee, unsweetened tea and plain water higher than low-fat milk, fruit juice or artificially sweetened beverages,” he said.
«Sweetened drinks like colas, fruit juices high in sugar and milk whole foods high in saturated fat are known risk factors for the development of type 2 diabetes and premature cardiovascular disease.
More than one serving per day was high
The study, published Wednesday in the journal BMJ, analyzed dietary data from about 15,500 adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes who were part of the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study in the United States. Nearly 75% of study participants were women with an average age of 61. Every two to four years, for an average of 18 years, participants answered questions about drinking eight different types of drinks: Artificially sweetened drinks, coffee, fruit juices, skimmed and whole milk, water, tea and sugary drinks. Examples of sugary drinks include caffeinated sodas, caffeine-free sodas, fruit punches, lemonades, and other fruit drinks.
More than one such drink per day was considered a high level of consumption; low consumption was less than one sugary drink per month. The study recommended a consumption of coffee (with or without caffeine) of four cups a day, two cups a day for tea, five glasses a day of water and low-fat milk drunk twice a day. A low amount for each drink was less than one cup or glass per month. The analysis showed that people who drank more sugary drinks they had a risk of death. for any cause, increased by 20% compared to those who consumed less. Death from a cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack, increased by 29%, according to the study. The risk of premature death increased by 8% for each additional serving per day. More than one serving a day was high The study, published Wednesday in the journal BMJ, analyzed dietary data from nearly 15,500 adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes who were part of the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study in the United States.
Switching was helpful
There’s good news for people who used to drink sugary drinks heavily before being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. When these sweet drinks were replaced with coffee or artificial calorie-free drinks after diagnosis, the risk of death early decreased significantly, according to the study.
When sugary drinks and calorie-free artificial drinks were replaced with coffee, tea, water and low-fat milk, the risk of heart disease and death from any cause is even lower result.
No data was provided on the types of tea (black, green, herbal, or fruit) consumed during the studies, or information on whether participants added sugar to their coffee or tea. Lack of data on this common additive means that “the comparative health effects of unsweetened and sweetened hot beverages remain unclear,” wrote Nita Forouhi, program manager and nutritional epidemiology researcher at the British University of Cambridge in an accompanying editorial.
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Suffice it to say that 400 million cases of type 2 diabetes are expected worldwide in 2030
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The study was observational in nature, so the findings cannot be viewed through a cause and effect lens. However, the authors “performed a detailed and repeated collection of dietary data, followed the participants for nearly two decades, applied comprehensive adjustments for confounders, and conducted 12 different analyses sensitivity,” said Forouhi, who was not involved in the study.
“The argument for avoiding sugary drinks is compelling,” Forouhi said. “The choice of drink is clearly important.”