Coffee Good, Chicken Bad, Say Nutrition Headlines

Coffee and chicken are fueling nutrition headlines this week. “Black coffee improves insulin sensitivity in women,” say headlines sparked by one study. “Eating chicken could shorten your lifespan, raise cancer risk,” according to headlines from another study.

Coffee good, chicken bad. Got it.

Eating Chicken Isn’t Killing You

Please, don’t hit the panic button if you’ve been enjoying meals that include chicken. Dietary guidelines generally recommend favoring lean meats and poultry. Plenty of observational research suggests replacing red meat with poultry predicts a lower risk of mortality and cardiovascular disease. Likewise, freshly prepared chicken appears to be a healthy alternative to processed meats.

So chicken can be a good source of protein and many essential nutrients – as part of a healthy pattern of eating that includes a variety of other nourishing foods.

The headlines about chicken, cancer, and a shorter lifespan comes from an observational study. Dietitian Theresa Gentile puts the findings in perspective:

“This study found an association, not a direct cause, between higher poultry intake and increased mortality, especially from gastrointestinal cancers. It doesn’t mean poultry causes cancer.”

The authors of this study themselves caution that their observations are “preliminary.” They recommend moderation in poultry consumption, attention to healthy cooking methods, and relying on a variety of protein sources for a healthy diet. Good advice.

Don’t Count on Coffee to Prevent Diabetes

Let’s be clear. We are big fans of coffee. It is a beverage that brings us pleasure and has quite a body of observational research linking it to favorable health outcomes. This latest research is an observational study that finds an association between two or more cups of coffee daily and a roughly 30% reduction in various indicators of insulin resistance. But evidence for a causal relationship? Not really.

So if you want to prevent type 2 diabetes, you should pay attention to physical activity and weight management. If obesity is a factor in your life, seeking medical care for it can make a big difference and do much to prevent diabetes.

And enjoy your coffee. Just don’t expect it to shield you from diabetes all by itself.

Click here for the study generating the deadly chicken headlines and here for the study on coffee and insulin resistance.

Chicken Drinking Coffee, illustration from ChatGPT 4o image generation

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May 6, 2025