Drinking Green Tea and Coffee May Lower Risk of Death for Diabetics

Green tea and coffee both contain polyphenols that are packed with antioxidants. According to a new study, drinking 4 or more cups of green tea and 2 or more cups of coffee per day may help decrease the risk of mortality for people with diabetes by up to 63%.

For their study, the researchers used data on 4,923 adults with type 2 diabetes who were enrolled in the Fukuoka Diabetes Registry. Self-administered questionnaires were used to evaluate how much green tea and coffee participants consumed. Participants were followed for an average of 5 years and all deaths were recorded.

Participants who drank 4 or more cups of green tea and 2 or more cups of coffee daily had 63% decreased odds of all-cause mortality compared to those who didn’t drink any green tea or coffee. Those who drank 4 or more cups of green tea and 1 cup of coffee daily had 58% lower odds. Participants who drank 4 or more cups of green tea daily had 40% lower odds and those who drank 2 or more cups of coffee daily had 41% lower odds.

The study was conducted by researchers from Kyushu University. It was published online ahead of print on October 22, 2020 in the journal BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care.