insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and
other food into energy needed for daily life. The cause of diabetes continues to
be a mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity
and lack of exercise appear to play roles.
Coffee reduces risk of diabetes
Research suggests that people who drink coffee are less likely to get type 2
diabetes. It isn't known whether the caffeine or some other ingredient in coffee
is responsible for its protective effects.
The researchers wanted to see whether there is a link between diabetes and
drinking coffee and green, black, and oolong tea. Participants completed a
detailed questionnaire about their health, lifestyle habits, and how much coffee
and tea they drank. The questionnaire was repeated at the end of the 5-year
follow-up period.
When other factors were accounted for, researchers found that the more green tea
and coffee participants drank, the less likely they were to get diabetes. People
who drank six cups or more of green tea or three or more cups of coffee each day
were about one-third less likely to get diabetes. The link was stronger in women
than in men. No pattern was seen with black or oolong tea. (see Diabetes
Symptoms)
Vitamin D and Calcium May Lower the Risk for Type 2 Diabetes in Women
A lack of vitamin D and calcium may be linked to getting type 2 diabetes. More
than 80,000 women who took part in the Nurses' Health Study. Over the course of
20 years, over 4,800 women developed type 2 diabetes. The researchers found that
a combined intake of over 1,200 milligrams of calcium and over 800 units of
vitamin D was linked with a 33% lower risk for type 2 diabetes (as compared to
women who took much smaller amounts of calcium and vitamin D). The results show
that consuming higher amounts of vitamin D and calcium help lower the risk for
type 2 diabetes in women.
Diabetes is a disorder characterized by hyperglycemia or elevated blood glucose
(blood sugar). Our bodies function best at a certain level of sugar in the
bloodstream. If the amount of sugar in our blood runs too high or too low, then
we typically feel bad. Diabetes is the name of the condition where the blood
sugar level consistently runs too high. Diabetes is the most common endocrine
disorder.