Coffee reduces risk of Type 2 Diabetes; okay to add cream, but not sweetener

Sugary drinks, coffee, and health

• Many comments focus on how “drinking sugar” (soda, frappes, shakes, frozen coffees) is “really” bad, especially given extreme sugar loads (e.g., >150 g in a single drink).
• Several distinguish liquid sugar from sugar in solid food, suggesting the body may handle them differently, though others note this is not rigorously demonstrated.
• A few argue that even small additions (e.g., 1 tsp sugar in coffee) seem too minor to explain large diabetes risk without other lifestyle differences.

Public health, policy, and “sin taxes”

• Some call sugary drinks “pancreatic terrorism” and question why there are anti-smoking PSAs but not anti-sugar ones.
• One camp supports education and possibly sugar taxes, especially in single‑payer systems where societal costs are shared.
• Another camp rejects government restrictions as “tyranny,” preferring personal responsibility and “your body, your choice.”
• Counter-arguments stress externalities (healthcare costs, reduced workforce fitness, car-centric infrastructure driven by obesity).

Addiction, freedom, and culture

• Multiple comments describe sugar and ultra-processed food as addictive, likening the situation to smoking before it was widely recognized as an addiction.
• Some argue US culture idolizes the “freedom” to make self-destructive choices while neglecting those harmed by them.

Personal strategies and habits

• Several people report deciding not to “drink calories” (no soda, juice, sweet coffee; often no alcohol), claiming good weight and glucose outcomes.
• Others say they only add a bit of cream or fat (for taste or medication needs) but avoid sweeteners.

Coffee preparation, taste, and what counts as “coffee”

• Debate over “real coffee” vs coffee-flavored desserts (Starbucks-style drinks); some see the latter as essentially soft drinks with caffeine.
• Coffee purists advocate black, lightly roasted, carefully brewed coffee; others note some people will simply never like coffee without additions.
• Side discussion: cultural differences in using cream/whipped cream vs milk in coffee across Europe and North America.

Study validity, association vs causation

• Multiple comments stress the study is observational and only shows association, not proof that coffee or cream “reduces risk.”
• Skeptics highlight confounders: people who avoid sweeteners may also exercise more, eat differently, or have different genetics.
• Others defend the study’s authors and institutions, arguing that dismissing “most dietary studies” as poor is anti-scientific.

Proposed mechanisms and related physiology

• Several note that people who add sugar or artificial sweeteners may have overall lifestyles that increase T2D risk; artificial sweeteners also weaken the apparent benefit.
• There is discussion of T2D as highly heritable but still strongly influenced by chronic high sugar/simple carb intake and insulin resistance.
• One commenter explains how chronic high insulin and unresponsive fat cells lead to T2D; recommendation: minimize sugar and large glucose spikes.
• Some speculate the effect might be due to caffeine, metabolism, or appetite suppression, comparing to stimulants like meth or ADHD medications, but acknowledge unknowns and lack of data on diabetes outcomes in those groups.
• Another thread addresses cafestol in unfiltered coffee (espresso, French press) potentially raising LDL cholesterol, with paper filters reducing it.

Salt, sugar, and “naturalness”

• A reported medical-professor claim that sugar and salt are “man-made” and not evolutionarily normal is challenged; commenters point out natural sources and the need for salt, while agreeing excess processed sugar is likely harmful.

Overall skepticism and usefulness

• Some argue that fine-grained findings (coffee vs tea, cream vs sugar) are of limited practical value when obesity and high-carb diets are already well-known major drivers of rising T2D rates.
• Others find the incremental insight useful, especially the suggestion that sweeteners (including artificial) may largely erase coffee’s apparent protective association, whereas cream does not.