Qi L et al. (2006) Whole-grain, bran, and cereal fiber intakes and markers of systemic inflammation in diabetic women. Diabetes Care 29: 207–211

van Dam RM et al. (2006) Coffee, caffeine, and risk of type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care 29: 398–403

Results from two studies that enrolled participants from the same well-characterized population illustrate the complex interplay between diet, inflammation, and type 2 diabetes.

Qi et al. identified 902 women with type 2 diabetes but no pre-existing cardiovascular disease from the Nurses Health Study cohort. They found that women who had high intakes of whole grains, bran, and cereal fiber had markedly lower levels of inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein and TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR RECEPTOR 2). Women with a high glycemic index diet had elevated levels of these markers. They suggest that patients with type 2 diabetes could reduce their cardiovascular risk by increasing their intake of whole grains while maintaining a low overall glycemic index diet.

Van Dam et al. evaluated coffee and caffeine consumption in 88,259 nondiabetic women aged 26–46 years at baseline from the Nurses Health Study cohort. Interestingly, women who consumed at least two cups of coffee a day had a markedly lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes over 10 years of follow-up, compared with women who did not consume coffee. This association was not affected by the method of preparing coffee or by caffeine intake (decaffeinated coffee had similar effects). Caffeine reduces short-term insulin sensitivity, but these results suggest that in the long-term, the contribution of other constituents of coffee might be more important. They note that high-calorie additives could negate these beneficial effects of coffee.