Green tea and coffee contain healthy antioxidants, and researchers wonder if benefits of these beverages extend to people with type 2 diabetes as well. In this study, scientists followed 4,923 Japanese adults (aged 66, on average) with type 2 diabetes for about 5 years to study their beverage habits and health outcomes. Compared with drinking no green tea, drinking at least 4 cups per day was linked with a 40% lower risk of death, drinking 2-3 cups was linked with a 27% lower risk of death, and drinking smaller amounts (up to 1 cup per day) was linked with a 15% lower risk of death. Similarly, compared with never drinking coffee, drinking at least 2 cups per day was linked with a 41% lower risk of death, drinking 1 cup per day was linked with a 19% lower risk of death, and drinking smaller amounts (less than 1 cup per day) was linked with a 12% lower risk of death. Interestingly, the benefits of drinking both coffee and green tea were additive, meaning that drinking both coffee and green tea each day may be extra beneficial.
BMJ Open Diabetes Research Care. 2020 Oct;8(1):e001252. doi: 10.1136/bmjdrc-2020-001252. (Komorita Y et al.)