The caffeine content of generic brewed 8-ounce cups is about 133mg, instant coffee cups may range from 27 to 173/8-ounces, while a double espresso portion only about 150mg. [Source: Center for Science in the Public Interest, “Caffeine Content of Food & Drugs”, September 2007, http://www.cspinet.org/new/cafchart.htm

Taking pure caffeine at half a gram per day is therefore the equivalent of drinking about 3-2/3’s cup of strong brewed coffee or 3-1/3’s servings of DOUBLE espresso’s per day… EVERY day for 6 months! Adding this amount of pure chemical caffeine to a diabetic’s diet is NOT a good study of the effect of drinking coffee itself. Coffee drinking, as opposed to taking caffeine supplements in pill form, has been shown to reduce incidence of diabetes by many long term, large and well designed studies around the world.

A study of 910 coffee drinking adults for 8 years at Univ. of California, San Diego (Diabetes Care, Nov. 2006) showed “…a stiking protective effect of caffeinated coffee against incident diabetes…independent of plausible cofounders.”

A 2006 Finnish study of elderly coffee drinking links with either low 0-5 cups /day or high 5+ /day showed that low coffee drinkers were about twice as likely to have impaired glucose tolerance than low drinkers, all other factors being equal.

A Swedish study of 7,949 men and women aged 35-56 demonstrated that drinking more coffee lowered risks for diabetes and insulin resistance. Drinking 5+ cups/day vs. less than 2 cups/day lowered risk by about half,
from 0.63 to 0.45. Potential cofactors like overweight, smoking, etc. were adjusted out of the risks. Oral glucose tolerance tests showed improved glucose responses in diabetics and women among heavy coffee drinkers. Among diabetics and ‘pre-diabetics’ with pre-existing impaired glucose tolerance, heavy coffee drinking was associated with better beta cell pancreatic functions, improved glucose responses. (Journal of Internal Medicine, June 2004)

Another large, long-term study in Finland showed powerful healthy associations between coffee drinking and glucose tolerance, lowering risks for diabetes, lowering fasting insulin and fasting glucose levels, lowering 2-hour blood glucose after meals, and general day-long measures of insulin resistance. There were 2,434 men and women studied with both fasting and two-hour oral glucose tolerance tests over a 5 year period from 1987 to 1992 — a very expensive test paid for by the Finland National Health Institute. The conclusions are important.

The study of 10 people taking artificial caffeine supplements for only 6 months in San Diego cannot compare to thousands of coffee drinkers for many years.

Coffee contains many compounds other than caffeine. Many polyphenols, anti-oxidants and other healthy constituents of natural coffee contribute to its healthy aspects.

Drink all the coffee you want, and don’t bother to remove the caffeine. Your body will thank you!