Surprising New Study: Daily Green Tea and Coffee Consumption May Extend the Lives of Diabetics

In a new study published in the prestigious Diabetes Research & Care journal, researchers tracked the health status of about 4,923 individuals with type 2 diabetes in Japan over approximately five years. Among them, 2,790 were men and 2,133 were women. Participants filled out a questionnaire consisting of 58 questions about their eating and drinking habits, including how much green tea and coffee they consume daily. Participants were also asked to provide information on the frequency of physical activity, smoking or alcohol consumption, and the average number of sleep hours per night as part of their lifestyle data.

Out of the 4,923 participants, 607 reported not drinking green tea at all, and 1,143 said they drank one cup per day. Approximately 1,384 reported drinking two to three cups daily, while 1,784 said they drank four cups every day. Regarding coffee consumption, 994 said they do not drink coffee, and 1,306 stated they drink "up to one cup daily." An additional 963 said they drink one cup daily, while 1,660 reported consuming two or more cups.

Researchers noted that compared to those who did not drink green tea or coffee, those who consumed one or two of the beverages had lower mortality risk from any cause, with the lowest mortality rates observed in the group who drank the highest amounts of green tea and coffee.

Specifically, for green tea, consuming up to one cup per day was associated with a 15% lower mortality risk, while drinking two to three cups was linked to a 27% lower risk. Drinking four or more cups of green tea was associated with a 40% reduction in mortality risk.

Coffee drinkers experienced similar benefits. Those who consumed up to one cup a day were 12% less likely to die, while those who drank one cup daily showed a 19% reduction in risk. Consuming two or more cups was linked to a 41% lower risk, researchers found.

In fact, the risk of death was even lower for those who drank both green tea and coffee daily: a 51% risk reduction for those who drank 2-3 cups of green tea with two or more coffees; a 58% risk reduction for participants who drank four or more cups of green tea with one coffee each day; and a 63% reduction when participants combined four or more cups of green tea with two or more cups of coffee daily.

Today, there are effective medications, advanced technologies like continuous glucose monitoring without pricks, and changes in diet and lifestyle that help balance diabetes and associated diseases. This study adds important knowledge, highlighting that regular consumption of coffee and green tea may significantly benefit the health of diabetics due to various bioactive compounds found in these common beverages.

Adina Bachar is a clinical dietitian at the DMC Diabetes Treatment Center.