People who consumed three to four cups of coffee a day had one-quarter lower risk of developing diabetes compared to non-coffee drinkers, said study leader Rachel Huxley, associate professor at The George Institute.
"The reduction in risk of developing diabetes was even greater, up to 40 percent, in those drinking more than six cups per day," she said.
"Interestingly, similar reductions in risk were observed for tea and decaffeinated beverages suggesting that any diabetes-sparing effect is not driven primarily through caffeine as previously thought,” Huxley added.

The study was based on the data from 18 previously completed research studies, providing a patient pool of 457,922 individuals.
Results were consistent irrespective of variations in preparation, such as filtered versus unfiltered, cup size, cup strength and the addition of milk or sugar, said a George Institute release.

“Although it is too early to advocate for increased consumption of these beverages, identifying the active components of these beverages would potentially open up new therapeutic pathways for the primary prevention of diabetes," Huxley said.
Globally, there are approximately 250 million people with diabetes and that number is estimated to increase by 65 percent to reach 380 million in 2025.