Drinking coffee has benefits for those who love to grab a cup in the morning, not only negative consequences. According to a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of California, San Diego, moderate consumption of caffeinated coffee helps cutting risks for developing type 2 diabetes by as much as 60%. Moreover, ex-coffee drinkers who kicked the habit along the way can also benefit from this positive effect of the drink upon their health: people who used to drink coffee but quit are more protected against diabetes than their peers who never had a taste for coffee.

This study on coffee's potency to prevent type 2 diabetes in individuals prone to develop the condition is not the first in the field. Previous studies were also run on the subject with the aim of identifying the exact link between coffee and type 2 diabetes, but the current research is unique because it was conducted on individuals who had high blood sugar levels and, consequently, were at high risk of developing the condition.

The trial involved 910 volunteers, all caffeinated coffee drinkers. Participants in the research had an average age of 66 and were 59% women and 41% men. The follow-up study lasted for 8 years, during which coffee habits of subjects had been investigated by the University of California team. Overall results showed that coffee drinkers were about 60% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes as compared to those who did not consume coffee at all. Also, individuals who drank coffee in the past but quit had lower chances of developing the condition than individuals who never consumed the black drink. All in all, the more amounts of coffee one consumed, the more protected he was against type 2 diabetes.

Researcher Besa Smith, MPH, who participated in the study stated for WebMD: "Our findings were very strong. The next step is to pinpoint the compounds in coffee responsible for this protective effect." She also added: "It appears that there are other compounds in coffee responsible for this. People with diabetes and those at risk for developing diabetes have enough to worry about. It is nice to know that coffee isn't one of them, and it may actually help lower risk."