Coffee Linked With Lower CVD Risk In Those With Type 2 Diabetes

The popular beverage sometimes gets a bad rep, but research suggests that it's actually favorable for heart health in some cases. Here's the latest on the cardiovascular benefits of your brew.

Also, CVD affects many people with type 2 diabetes, an insulin-related disease that’s projected to become more prevalent over the next few years4—thus, understanding risk factors and complications is important.

The reason behind the correlation could be due to how coffee impacts insulin: "Phenolic compounds in coffee (e.g., phenol chlorogenic acid) have been demonstrated to stimulate secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1, which may thereby improve glucose-induced insulin secretion and insulin action," researchers state. Black coffee is also considered anti-inflammatory5, which is another possible reason for the correlation.

Now this doesn’t mean any type of coffee is inherently healthy. In fact, loading up your drink with added sugar could increase your risk of CVD6. So, keep your cup on the simpler side and be mindful of portions and timing. Below, some tips:

More research is needed to confirm the findings in the general population, but the information is still contributing to a larger body of evidence suggesting that coffee consumption is aligned with a healthy lifestyle—more reasons why (and how it compares to other beverages) here.