Green tea and coffee are the two most widely consumed beverages in the world. They are generally considered healthy and a new study has highlighted how coffee and green tea may reduce the risk of death in diabetic patients. The complete study findings are published in the journal BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care.
This new study reveals that at least four cups of green tea or at least two cups of coffee can reduce the death risk in diabetic patients by 63% in up to five years’ time. Usually, type 2 diabetic patients are more likely to get cardiovascular diseases, bone diseases, cancer, and memory-related diseases. Despite the advancements in drug development and improvements in healthcare systems, the risk of death in diabetic patients is significantly high.
Also read: Will Coronavirus Infection Become Seasonal?
Some of the previous studies revealed that green tea and coffee are good for health as these two beverages are high in bioactive compounds especially antioxidants.
But there is limited research on diabetic patients and how healthy food and drinks may affect their health. That’s why the researchers focused on studying the effects of coffee and green tea on diabetic patients trying to find a way to increase their life expectancy.
They obtained data from 4923 individuals from Japan. It included 2790 men and 2133 women, all of which were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The average age of all these participants was 66 years and was studied for five years.
All these were enrolled in a study called “The Fukuoka Diabetes Registry” which was focused on understanding the importance of medicines and lifestyle changes on diabetic patients.
Each of these participants were asked to complete a questionnaire that collected data on their food and beverages. It also included information on how much coffee or green tea they consume in one day. They were also asked to enlist their activity level, smoking habits, and alcohol use along with the sleeping hours.
The basic information on height, weight, blood pressure, sugar level, and urination were also recorded.
Overviewing the results, nearly 607 participants reported no consuming the green tea. Only 1143 reported having one cup daily and 1384 reported drinking 2-3 cups daily. Only 1784 confirmed drinking 4 cups or more.
Some 1000 participants reported that they don’t drink coffee at all. Nearly 1306 reported that they drink one cup of coffee daily. And only 963 reported that they drink coffee daily. Only 1660 confirmed taking more than 2 cups daily.
In the monitoring period, 309 people reportedly died. It included 218 men and 91 women. 114 people from these died by 114 and 76 people died by cardiovascular conditions.
Also read- India- Worst-hit by Coronavirus and Least Bothered About Precautionary Measures
Comparing people who didn’t consume coffee or green tea with those who consumed at least one were more likely to die from other complications.
This study is regarded as an observational study and it can’t be used to establish more accurate results. There are many factors that were not reported in this study such as brands and quality of green tea and coffee. Other factors such as economic conditions, and educational levels, Also, this study was included in Japan and they consumed the Japanese version of green tea and coffee which are somehow different from the other world.
It means that the biology of these mechanisms is not obvious. There are many antioxidants that may save their life. Upcoming researches should focus on understanding how these bioactive compounds in coffee and green tea may help to save diabetic patients from death.
