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FITNESS TIPS : A Brew for Better Blood Sugar.
Your daily cup of java may do more than get you going and out the door. It might also reduce your risk for blood sugar disorders.

Topic: Healthy Habits
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Research shows that coffee might decrease the risk of developing diabetes by about 25 percent. But watch the sugar. Here's why.

Make It Black
People who add sugar to coffee or tea don't get the protective blood sugar effect, and they may run a higher risk of developing cancer of the pancreas. That's because the risk of developing pancreatic cancer is related, in part, to the amount of sugar in the diet. People who drink fizzy or syrup-based sweet drinks twice a day or more have a 90 percent higher risk of getting cancer of the pancreas than those who never drink them. Suddenly, that sweet stuff doesn't seem so sweet!

Caffeine Caution
Coffee isn't for everyone. If you're sensitive to caffeine's effects, you may want to avoid it. And even if you aren't, it's best to limit yourself to about 250 milligrams of caffeine a day.

SOURCES: YOU: Staying Young. Roizen, M. F., Oz, M. C., New York: Simon & Schuster, 2007. Coffee drinking induces incorporation of phenolic acids into LDL and increases the resistance of LDL to ex vivo oxidation in humans. Natella, F., Nardini, M., Belelli, F., Scaccini, C., American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2007 Sep;86(3):604-609.

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