This news should perk you up: Three to four cups of coffee a day can lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 25 percent compared to drinking less than two cups, according to new research from the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC).
Credit the antioxidants in coffee, as they may have beneficial effects on diabetes development, says Rob M. van Dam, Ph.D, of the Harvard School of Public Health. A cuppa Joe has also been connected to a lower risk of heart disease, a healthier liver, and even a lower risk of suicide.
If just thinking about that much java in a day makes you jittery, you’re in luck: Both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee have been linked to the lowered risk.
Reap the most benefits between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. That’s when your natural levels of energizing cortisol are lower, and the time frame that researchers from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Maryland argue that caffeine has the greatest impact. Just know your limits: More than 28 cups a week—four a day—increases your risk of death, according to a recent study from the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.