Can drinking coffee reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes?

A Chinese study in 2012 indicated that drinking coffee may reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, notes WebMD. The protection afforded by coffee results from three compounds in the coffee that block the accumulation of a protein that increases Type 2 diabetes risk.

The study found that the compounds in the coffee reverse the toxic process that leads to diabetes, notes WebMD. The study's authors published its findings in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Previous research showed that drinking four or more servings of coffee each day lowered a person's change of getting Type 2 diabetes by 50 percent.