Regular, moderate coffee consumption may reduce risk of type 2 diabetes

Recent scientific evidence has consistently linked regular, moderate coffee consumption with a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes. An update of this research will be presented by experts working in this field at the World Congress on Prevention of Diabetes and Its Complications (WCPD), taking place on 11-14 November in Madrid, Spain.

The parallel session "Good things in life: Can coffee help in diabetes prevention?" will take place on Monday, 12 November at 11:30 a.m. It is sponsored by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee, a not-for-profit organisation devoted to the study and disclosure of science related to coffee and health.

The panel will be chaired by Dr. Pablo Aschner, Associate Professor of Endocrinology at the Javeriana University School of Medicine and Siamak Bidel, Senior Researcher at the University of Helsinki. Four speakers will present an update of recent research on different aspects of coffee and diabetes, followed by a panel discussion and an open debate.

Professor Jaakko Tuomilehto, Professor of Public Health at the University of Helsinki, will present the latest results from coffee intervention trials, building on existing work showing that drinking 3 to 4 cups of coffee per day is associated with an approximate 25% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, compared to consuming none or less than 2 cups per day.

Dr. Pilar Riob- Serv-n, Associate Chief of Endocrinology and Nutrition at the Jim-nez D-az-Capio Hospital of Madrid, will discuss the significance of clinical parameters found so far regarding coffee and diabetes.

Dr. Nathan Matusheski, Senior Scientist at Kraft Foods, will be looking at the potential mechanisms that may govern the relationship between coffee and type 2 diabetes, highlighting the potential role of antioxidants in coffee, such as chlorogenic acid and trigonelline.

Professor Edith Feskens, Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology at the National Institute of Public Health and the Environment in the Netherlands, will end the presentations with an overview of the epidemiological evidence relating to coffee and reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.

Based on the increasing scientific evidence that links regular, moderate coffee consumption with a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes, ISIC believed it was relevant to sponsor this session in order to increase awareness amongst experts on diabetes and prevention and help them to educate the public and eradicate misconceptions about coffee and health not based on solid scientific evidence.