Drinking coffee may cut risk of diabetes

Moderate consumption of coffee - four to five cups of coffee a day - may lower the chances of developing type 2 diabetes compared with those drinking it occasionally or not at all, according to a new research Tuesday. The research suggests a cut in risk of around 30 percent from regular consumption of coffee - whether it was caffeinated or decaffeinated, the Daily Mail newspaper reported. The findings, which are the latest from a major European investigation into the effects of diet and lifestyle on health, also reveal that coffee drinking does not appear to increase the risk of heart disease or cancer. Altogether 42,659 people took part in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), the Mail said. Drinking more than four cups of coffee a day - caffeinated and decaffeinated - compared with less than one cup was not linked to a higher risk of developing a chronic disease. It had been previously thought diabetes risk may be cut by drinking coffee but there have been conflicting results on whether it protects or promotes chronic diseases such as heart problems and cancer. Meanwhile, a new research shows that just one cup of coffee is all that's needed to reduce the risk of nodding off at the wheel during a long motorway drive. Although caffeine is known to act as a stimulant, it has been unclear how much a driver needs to keep alert during long journeys. The latest study, carried out by scientists at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, suggests a single cup of caffeinated coffee is all it takes to boost alertness midway through a four-hour motorway drive. Driver fatigue is estimated to play a significant part in up to 25 per cent of all accidents on motorways and fast roads