Paul–You likely developed “type 1.5 diabetes”. This type of diabetes occurs in adults yet it is likely mostly an autoimmune disease like type I diabetes. No, this type of diabetes is likely not preventable.

Sorry Dr Wilson but I strongly disagree with your statement that Type 2 is 100% preventable. A couple of years ago I was diagnosed with Type 2. My A1c at that time was a whopping 14.5. I was shocked to learn of the diagnosis as were my friends & relatives because I was such a healthy eater and always active and lean. Also, there was no history of diabetes in my family. Why I came down with it is beyond me.

Yes, and worth saying too that even if this is not proven, there are established well being (feel good) benefits from buying fair trade coffee.

In high doses I’d expect caffeine to be endocrinology disruptive in either a primary way, ie., acting directly upon hormones and resulting in altered sates of balance, or via secondary effect through alteration to time spent resting and sleeping. (Sleep plays a big part in ‘normalising’ hormones and hormonal cascades.)

Insufficient sleep can be disruptive to cortisol and to insulin and in nature long hours of daylight in summer are a cue to raise cortisol and insulin to keep many spepcies active and preparing for winter (eating and gaining weight under the influence of seasonally raised levels of insulin).

Elevated levels of cortisol and other glucocorticoids can raise the requirement for methylation, and methylation is rhe means by which these exito-hormones – which can be exito-toxins under conditions of chronic excess – are down regulated. So caffeine in excess might place increased demand for methylation and methyl donors which are supplied by methyl donating antioxidants. If supply of methyl donating antioxidants is not in keeping with demand some reactive oxygen species can persist, and an indication might be rising levels of homocysteine. Homocysteine both conveys and indicates generally raised levels of oxidative stress.

However a possibility surprised me. Caffeine itself may be a potential donor of methyl groups. I only took a cursory look but it might be worth interested parties considering the potentiality of methyl donation as an accompaniment caffeine metabolism as a possible explanation for how drinking coffee with caffeine (not decaf) may impact positively upon markers for inflammation.

As for the subject at hand, for my own N=1 study, I drank 4-6 cups per day for the last forty years and then last year I was diagnosed with type II diabetes. So the hypothesis does not appear true from my perspective.

What I do know now is that I should have laid off the carbs a long time ago. I wish that I had known. Instead I was following the so called ‘heart healthy’ low fat (high carb) diet on statins which I now think contributed to my diabetes.

I disagree that it is a self induced illness.
I do however note that people who live long lives, tend to credit themselves for it. From your remarks about Paleo etc. I think perhaps you are crediting yourself for your good health.
Not EVERYONE with bad health gets it from an unhealthy lifestyle.

With the benefit of hind sight I tend to agree. I got the news in 2000 followed the official line and things gradually declined as predicted. Only in 2007 with the prospect of insulin treatment at which I went Lo Carb did any improvement take place. Result lost 4 stone and now probably leaner and healthier than before.

I have said before that getting diabetes was actually a good thing ( depending of course what you do about it !)

For the liver cancer/cirrhosis protective effect, it makes little difference whether coffee is instant or espresso. But decaf is as useless as it tastes.
Even people who take sugar in their coffee don’t usually take as much sugar that way, compared to people who drink soft drinks. I like 1 gram of sugar per cup myself.

The point is, in my opinion type II diabetes is 100% preventable. We discuss diabetes like it’s something people get as they get older. No–it’s a self-induced condition based on a diet of processed food and lack of exercise. In other words you give yourself diabetes.

I think you will appreaciate the Dietary Guidelines submission in the PDF attached to this blog
http://profgrant.com/2014/04/23/the-real-food-guidelines/
It’s a detailed argument, mainly from epidemiology, around the neutral role of SFA in the diet, the benefits of full-fat diet, the over-sold benefits of fibre and risks of salt, and other matters you’ve discussed on this blog.