Type 2 diabetes could open doors to a host of heath complications related to the metabolic disease. Coffee and tea can help lower the risk of dying from any cause among type 2 diabetes patients, but research showed that only a certain amount of these beverages can be consumed.

An observational study titled, "Additive effects of green tea and coffee on all-cause mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: the Fukuoka Diabetes Registry," published in BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care showed that drinking four or more cups of green tea and two or more cups of coffee daily can reduce the risk of death by 63 percent over a period of about five years.

The study noted that those who have type 2 diabetes are more prone to suffering from dementia, circulatory disease, cancer, and bone fractures. It pointed out that even with the availability of drug treatments, modifying one's lifestyle plays a very important role in treating this form of diabetes.

Previous studies have already indicated that drinking green tea and coffee regularly benefits the health due to the bioactive compounds the beverages contain. While this may have been tested among the general population, there were only a few studies, which delved into the beverages' effects on diabetics. Given this premise, the researchers set out to determine the probable impact of coffee and green tea, with patients drinking them separately, and also when both beverages were consumed. They then assessed the risk of death among those with diabetes.

The study looked into the health of 4,923 Japanese who had type 2 diabetes. The participants comprised 2,790 men and 2,133 women. The average age of the participants was 66 and the period of study was done over a span of five years. They were all enrolled in the Fukuoka Diabetes Registry, which is a prospective study that looks at how lifestyle and drug treatments impact the lifespan of diabetes patients.

The participants answered a questionnaire, which included the amount of green tea and coffee that they consumed, as well as other lifestyle factors like alcohol consumption, smoking and exercise. Their vitals like blood pressure, height, and weight were also taken.

At the end of the monitoring period, the researchers found that those who drank either coffee or green tea showed lower odds of dying. However, those who drank both coffee and green tea had the lowest odds.

Coffe And Green Tea Coffe And Green Tea
Coffee and green tea can help lower the risk of death for type 2 diabetes patients Photo: Pixabay

The researchers observed that those who drank a combination of four or more cups of green tea and two or more cups of coffee daily showed a 63 percent lower risk of dying from any cause. Four or more cups of green tea plus one cup of coffee translated to a 58 percent lowered risk. Those who drank two to three cups of green tea plus two cups or more of coffee had a 51 percent lower mortality risk.