What You Drink Matters

Charlyn Fargo
Thu, 09 Apr 2026 21:00:00 -0700
Lifestyle

For all of us, what we choose to drink makes a difference. A new study highlights how important drink choices can be for someone who suffers from Type 2 diabetes.

A study published in the British Medical Journal found that replacing sugary drinks with coffee, tea or water was linked to lower rates of early death due to cardiovascular and other causes. Even drinking more coffee and tea after a diabetes diagnosis was associated with lower death rates.

Of course, diet plays a key role in managing diabetes; less has been studied about beverage intake.
Updated: Fri Apr 10, 2026

For all of us, what we choose to drink makes a difference. A new study highlights how important drink choices can be for someone who suffers from Type 2 diabetes.

A study published in the British Medical Journal found that replacing sugary drinks with coffee, tea or water was linked to lower rates of early death due to cardiovascular and other causes. Even drinking more coffee and tea after a diabetes diagnosis was associated with lower death rates.

Of course, diet plays a key role in managing diabetes; less has been studied about beverage intake.

In the BMJ study, researchers looked at data from 15,486 adults (average age 61 years) with a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes who were part of the Nurses' Health Study from 1980 to 2018 and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (1986-2018) in the United States.

Participants updated a food questionnaire every two to four years that included sugar-sweetened beverages, artificially sweetened beverages, fruit juice, coffee, tea, low-fat and full-fat milk and water. Over an average of 18.5 years, the researchers recorded 3,447 cases of cardiovascular events and 7,638 deaths. Sugar-sweetened beverage intake was associated with a 25% higher risk of cardiovascular incidents and a 29% higher risk of cardiovascular-related death. In comparison, intake of coffee and low-fat milk was associated with an 18% and 12% lower risk of cardiovascular events, respectively.

Researchers wrote in the conclusion: "Overall these results provide additional evidence that emphasizes the importance of beverage choices in maintaining overall health among adults with diabetes."

I'd add that the importance extends to all of us. And what happens if you add sugar to your coffee or tea? It's likely you wouldn't see the same lower rates of death. The bottom line: Choose black coffee, unsweetened tea, plain water and low-fat milk.

Q and A

Q: Is coconut oil good to use?

A: Coconut oil has seen a surge in popularity in the past few years due to a belief that it's good for health, particularly heart health. However, there's not strong scientific evidence to support that, according to Alice Lichtenstein, senior scientist and the director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at Tufts University. In an article published in July 2023, some early, short-term studies showed a slight improvement in cholesterol and body measurements when healthy adults consumed coconut oil. However, more recent work and analysis of larger studies have found that coconut oil intake, compared with other plant oils, is associated with higher LDL (bad) cholesterol and no improvement in body weight, blood sugar control or inflammation. Coconut oil is about 91% saturated fatty acids, which have been found to raise cardiovascular disease risk. The best idea is to replace saturated fatty acids, including those from coconut oil, with unsaturated fatty acids from oils such as olive, canola, corn, peanut, safflower, soybean and sunflower oil.

RECIPE

It's watermelon season in the Midwest. Here's a great end-of-summer recipe, low in calories, for a salad that combines watermelon, feta and cucumbers.

WATERMELON, CUCUMBER AND FETA SALAD

Servings: 6

4 cups cubed watermelon, chilled

1 cup diced cucumber

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Add balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper to small bowl. Whisk together until smooth and set aside. Add watermelon, cucumber and red onion to large bowl or serving tray. Right before serving, top with feta cheese, fresh mint, fresh basil and balsamic olive oil mixture.

Per serving: 82 calories, 2 g protein, 10 g carbohydrate, 4 g fat, 7 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 8 g sugars (0 added), 98 mg sodium.

(Recipe from Mayo Clinic)