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Jo-Anne M. Rizzotto, M.Ed, R.D., L.D.N., C.D.E.

Jo-Anne Rizzotto, MEd, RDN, LDN, CDCES, is Director of Educational Services at the Joslin Diabetes Center and Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA. She is a registered dietitian and a certified diabetes educator with over 25 years of clinical, research, management and industry experience and is a key member of the clinic leadership team. Jo-Anne is co-chair and an active member of the National Certification Board of Diabetes Educators Exam Board. Jo-Anne has a proven track record of managing many facets of quality assurance and improvement with documented outcomes including advancing the use of technologies in the clinic for the management of diabetes. Jo-Anne establishes, directs and manages all aspects of diabetes education programs including overall direction, content, design, delivery, budgeting and staff management. She ensures all programs and staff delivering education meet the highest quality standards and do so with the highest level of efficiency and effectiveness. Jo-Anne participates in and has been the co-principle investigator in numerous clinical research studies. Jo-Anne chairs and participates in a variety of high level selection committees, clinical guideline committees, publication review committees and academic promotion committees. She also chairs the quality committee with the General Counsel at the Joslin in addition to the Clinic policy and procedure committee.

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Coffee and Diabetes: Does It Reduce Your Risk?

Ask the Expert
diabetes

Q:

I've read that drinking coffee reduces the risk for type 2 diabetes. Is there any truth to that?

A:

Research has shown that drinking large amounts of coffee (six to seven cups) may decrease the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Caffeine, a major ingredient in regular coffee, raises blood glucose levels and increases metabolism (the rate at which you burn calories) but its long-term effects are not well understood. Furthermore, six or seven cups is a lot of coffee to drink on a daily basis, particularly since caffeine affects the central nervous system and increases heart rate. Caffeine may cause restlessness, difficulty sleeping, increased urination and possibly calcium loss from bones. Yet, coffee (both regular and decaffeinated) contains a high level of antioxidants, like chlorogenic acid (one of the compounds responsible for the coffee flavor) and magnesium, an essential mineral. These ingredients may improve sensitivity to insulin and contribute to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. However, researchers agree that longer-term studies are needed to determine if drinking coffee really can help prevent type 2 diabetes. Until then, maintaining a healthy body weight, eating a healthy diet and being physically active are proven ways to significantly reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

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