Good news for caffeine addicts everywhere! While there have been a number of studies published in recent years highlighting the potential benefits of consuming mild amounts of coffee, never before has a long-term study concluded the caffeinated beverage to reduce the possibility of developing diabetes.

But as Reuters reports, a long-term study shows that the inflammation-lowering effects of coffee could be a reason regular consumers are 54% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than non-coffee drinkers. These results were published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 

More than 1,300 men and women participated in the study, which began in 2001 in Athens, Greece. The random sampling included 816 'casual' consumers – meaning they drank less than 1.5 daily cups of coffee, and 385 'habitual' drinkers – who drank more than 1.5 cups per day, and 239 non-coffee drinkers. 

Blood tests were done for each participant to evaluate their protein levels – markers of inflammation and antioxidant levels – which indicate the body's ability to neutralize cell-damaging "free radicals."