Add a pair of studies to the "pro" side of drinking coffee, this time linked to reducing one's risk of type 2 diabetes. Only a single catch: The more java one drinks, the smaller the risk.

After tracking the health of nearly 1,150 healthy, diabetes-free Native Americans between ages 45-74 for more than seven years in one study, scientists found patients who consumed the most coffee -- 12 cups or more every day -- enjoyed the biggest benefit: A 67 percent reduction in the risk of developing diabetes, compared to folks who don't drink it. Even more surprising was that 8 percent of the patients actually drank that much coffee every day.

Interestingly, drinking up to four cups of coffee was associated with just a 13 percent drop in a patient's risks of facing diabetes, but consuming as many as 11 cups raised one's level of protection only to 22 percent.

However, the risk reductions were a bit higher in a late 2009 Archives of Internal Medicine study, related not only to coffee, but decaffeinated coffee and tea as well. Folks who drank three or four cups of coffee every day lessened their risks of diabetes by about 25 percent compared to those who drank two cups or less.

And, surprisingly, reductions in diabetes risks were comparable or even higher among patients consuming more than three to four cups of decaf coffee (33 percent) and tea (20 percent).

Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases February 19, 2010

NutraIngredients-USA February 24, 2010

EurekAlert December 14, 2009