Since last year, studies have revealed the new wonders of coffee, most of them contradicting what was previously known especially with regards to coffee's health benefits.

Now, presented in a "controversy session" on coffee at the Experimental Biology 2007 meeting recently concluded in Washington, DC is the new findings that drinking coffee can help protect against type 2 diabetes and even prevent certain cancers.

According to Dr. Rob van Dam of the Harvard School of Public Health, who presented in the said session that there is evidence that may protect against certain types of colon cancer, as well as rectal and liver cancer:

"We're coming from a situation where coffee had a very negative health image. It's not like we're promoting coffee as the new health food and asking people who don't like coffee to drink coffee for their health."

The preventive benefits of coffee on diabetes were first revealed in 2002 and since then 20 studies on the issue came about.

Dr Rob van Dam and his team are now investigating the diabetes-preventing effects of coffee. It couldn't be caffeine he said because decaffeinated coffee has the same preventive effects on diabetes.

His major suspect is chlorogenic acid, an antioxidant that slows the absorption of glucose in the intestines.

Might still be awhile before any conclusion shows up, meanwhile let's all enjoy drinking coffee, but bearing in mind that there are people that needs to limit their coffee consumption, such as pregnant women and children.

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