Anyone can get diabetes, but it’s more common in people who are overweight and those who have a strong family history of the disease. Diet appears to play a role in the risk of developing diabetes – particularly diets that are high in calories and carbs. Although much attention has been focused on what to eat and not eat to reduce the risk of diabetes, less focus has been directed towards what to drink. Studies have shown that twenty percent of the calories people take in on a daily basis comes from what they drink. More calories consumed leads to weight gain and a greater risk of diabetes. If you’re concerned about type 2 diabetes, what should you be drinking?

What Not to Drink

One of the worst beverage choices is soft drinks. These carbonated beverages, which as usually sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, have been associated with a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes. One study showed that women who drank one or more soft drinks or other sugar sweetened drink each day had a 83% higher risk of developing diabetes compared to women who consumed one or fewer. Not only are soft drinks associated with a higher risk of developing diabetes, they also fuel the obesity epidemic – another risk factor for diabetes.

It may sound virtuous to reach for a glass of fruit juice, but don’t assume that it’s necessarily good for the blood sugar. A study showed that a daily serving of fruit juice increased the risk of diabetes in women by eighteen percent. The same doesn’t seem to hold true for eating the whole fruit. Women who ate three of more servings of whole fruit each day had an eighteen percent lower risk of developing diabetes. The reason? The fiber slows down the absorption of the fruit sugars which helps to prevent rapid spikes in insulin and blood sugar levels.

What to Drink

Moderate amounts of coffee may be a positive when it comes to the risk of developing diabetes. A large study showed that women who drank six or more cups of coffee each day reduced their diabetes risk by twenty-two percent. Caffeine doesn’t seem to be the protective ingredient since six or more cups of decaffeinated coffee also cut the risk of developing diabetes by thirty-three percent. Researchers speculate that it could be the polyphenols found in coffee that helps to protect against diabetes.

Another drink that holds promise for reducing the risk of diabetes is tea. Studies in diabetic rodents showed that both black and green tea have a blood sugar lowering effect. Although this hasn’t been well studied in humans, drinking green and black tea offers other benefits for those at high risk of diabetes. For one, it’s almost calorie free which decreases the risk of obesity.

The Bottom Line

Substituting tea and decaffeinated coffee for sugar-sweetened drinks, soft drinks, and fruit juices could help lower the risk of diabetes by preventing blood sugar spikes and reducing overall calories. Isn’t it time to make the switch?