Tea, coffee, and other beverages have become popular choices for quenching our thirst. For individuals with diabetes, making smart beverage choices is crucial to stay properly hydrated. Recent research published in 'The BMJ' sheds light on the positive impact of coffee, tea, plain water, and low-fat milk instead of sweetened beverages for better health outcomes in people wityh type 2 diabetes.

      The prospective study focused on adults with type 2 diabetes who participated in either the Nurses' Health Study in 1980 or the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study in 1986. Participants who had type 2 diabetes at baseline in both studies or who were diagnosed with incident type 2 diabetes during follow-up were included. Researchers evaluated their beverage intake using frequency questionnaires given every 2 to 4 years. The main goal was to examine overall mortality, with additional focus on the incidence and mortality of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

      A total of 15,486 adults, with an average age of 61.3 years and mostly women (73.6%), were part of the study. Over an average period of 18.5 years, 49.3% of the participants passed away. The results revealed that adults who consumed more than one serving per day of sugary drinks had a higher risk of overall mortality compared to those who consumed them the least (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 1.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-1.37). On the other hand, individuals who drank more than one serving per day of coffee (adjusted HR = 0.74; 95% CI, 0.63-0.86), tea (adjusted HR = 0.79; 95% CI, 0.71-0.89), plain water (adjusted HR = 0.77; 95% CI, 0.7-0.85), and low-fat milk (adjusted HR = 0.88; 95% CI, 0.8-0.96) had a lower risk of overall mortality compared to those who consumed them the least. No significant difference was found in mortality risk for artificially-sweetened beverages, fruit juice, or full-fat milk.

      These findings provide important insights into the positive association between coffee, tea, and water consumption, and improved health outcomes for individuals with type 2 diabetes.