Many people enjoy drinking coffee in the morning and throughout the day. Studies have found that coffee has a number of benefits for health, including reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and certain types of cancer.
Research has suggested that consuming more coffee may lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. However, for people who already have type 2 diabetes, drinking coffee or increasing intake of the beverage may not be recommended.
After drinking a cup of coffee, you might notice that your blood sugar levels have increased. This might also happen if you drink coffee with a meal. If this is happening often, you might start to wonder if people with diabetes should or can drink coffee.
Does coffee prevent diabetes
Known as an antioxidant-rich beverage, coffee also has:
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Caffeine
- Bioactive substances
The antioxidant properties in coffee include:
- Chlorogenic
- Ferulic
- N-coumaric acids
The antioxidant properties in coffee appear to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
A study found that people who drink three to four cups of coffee a day are 25% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than people who don’t drink coffee or who only drink one or two cups a day. The study also found that both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee may help lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.
How does caffeine work
We often think of caffeine as a drug that we consume and it gives us energy. However, the way caffeine actually affects our energy levels is much more complex.
Blocking adenosine receptors
The adenosine receptors work in the body to actually slow things down. This binding to cells slows down cell activity, and helps with falling asleep at bedtime, or calming down the body after intense activity.
Caffeine blocks AR from binding to cells, which prevents cell activity from decreasing and helps people feel more awake.
Increasing other energy-producing chemicals
The presence of caffeine also tells your brain to produce more chemicals that make you feel happy, alert, and motivated.
transmitters that help facilitate communication between brain cells. Serotonin, dopamine, and acetylcholine are known as neuromodulators, which help regulate the body’s physiological response to activity.
The brain produces dopamine and serotonin, which have a positive effect on the brain. A increase in dopamine production can occur during a first kiss and has a pleasing effect on the brain.
Acetylcholine not only affects how you feel emotionally, but also physically in ways unrelated to mood, such as muscle function.
Releasing catecholamines
Caffeine elicits an increase in catecholamine production from the adrenal glands. Catecholamines are hormones that are secreted in response to physical or emotional stressors. They serve to help the body endure and respond to the stressor.
Caffeine can spikes your blood sugar levels because it increases the amount of adrenaline in your body.
How much caffeine is in coffee, tea, etc.
The caffeine content in coffee can vary depending on the source of the coffee beans. For example, the darker the roast, the more caffeine it typically contains.
-A cup of coffee from Starbucks has about 235 milligrams of caffeine -A cup of coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts has about 102 milligrams of caffeine The amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee from Starbucks is about twice the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts.
How coffee affects your blood sugar
So the catecholamines mentioned above include adrenaline (also known as epinephrine).
Adrenaline is popularly known as the hormone that helps you either fight or flee a stressful situation. It allows your body to endure intense stress from good or bad situations, like a competition, a rollercoaster ride, or a car accident.
When you’re stressed, your body releases adrenaline, which signals your liver to release stored energy in the form of glucose.
Your liver has stores of glucose called glycogen. These stores are broken down and converted into glucose, which gives your body fuel.
Your liver continually releases glycogen between meals to provide your brain with glucose it needs to function properly.
Your liver releases glycogen in response to stressful events, which provides your body with glucose to use as fuel.
And that is how caffeine spikes your blood sugar.
Coffee drinking, especially in the evening, can cause sleep problems for some people, which can lead to decreased insulin sensitivity.
Drinking coffee when you have diabetes
Diabetes is a condition that rsults in elevated blood sugar levels. The body cannot effectively produce or utilize insulin.
- With type 1 diabetes, the body doesn’t produce insulin. This is a hormone that helps glucose go from the bloodstream into the cells of the body.
- With type 2 diabetes, which is most common, the body doesn’t produce insulin properly.
You can control diabetes through a combination of diet, exercise, and medication.
Gestational diabetes is another type of diabetes that can occur when a woman’s body is not able to make and use all the insulin it needs during pregnancy. This diagnosis does not mean that the woman had diabetes prior to pregnancy or that she will be diagnosed with diabetes after the pregnancy. Gestational diabetes is usually a temporary condition.
The best way to manage diabetes is through diet and exercise. You should also create a plan with your healthcare provider to keep your blood sugar controlled.
Caffeine may help reduce the risk of diabetes, but for those who have diabetes, caffeine could create an issue. Studies show that caffeine can impair glucose tolerance and decrease insulin sensitivity.
Effects of caffeine
Chlorogenic acid and other phenolic compounds in coffee interfere with glucose transporters and decrease insulin sensitivity. Caffeine overall impairs glucose tolerance and also decreases insulin sensitivity.
Caffeine intake has been linked to higher blood glucose levels in five out of seven clinical trials, suggesting that it may play a role in prolonging the period of high blood glucose levels for people with diabetes. More research is needed to confirm this relationship.
Effects of added ingredients
Although coffee has some health benefits, many people add things to it that are not good for them, like cream and sugar. This is not a good idea for people with diabetes.
A diet high in sugar and carbs can be detrimental to diabetics. This is because these foods can cause spikes in blood sugar levels.
The study found that non-caloric artificial sweeteners may lead to glucose intolerance and changes in the gut microbiome in humans.
You should speak to your healthcare provider about whether you should be adding sugar, sweeteners, or anything else to your coffee. This is a important decision to make, as they will be able to give you specific advice based on your individual needs.
Caffeine and insulin resistance
The study found that regular caffeine consumption does not significantly impact insulin levels in people with type 2 diabetes.
All of the participants were regular coffee drinkers, consuming approximately 4 cups per day. However, they all stopped drinking coffee during the study. Half of the participants were given capsules containing 250 mg of caffeine while the other half were given placebo pills containing zero caffeine.
The study found that when patients took caffeine, their blood sugar levels were 8% higher. After every meal, their blood sugar spiked higher than on the day they had no caffeine.
This means that people with diabetes should be careful with how much caffeine they consume, in order to not impact their blood sugar levels.
We should not consume black coffee and green tea without limits just because they contain zero calories. Instead, we should consume caffeine carefully and set personal limits around it for the sake of our overall diabetes health.
Managing your blood sugar around coffee and other caffeinated beverages
. To see a blood sugar impact from caffeine, you would generally have to consume around 200 mg. This is equivalent to 1-2 cups of regular black coffee or 3-4 cups of black tea.
We all process coffee differently, some of us may see a blood sugar impact from just a single cup while others may be able to drink several cups without any changes.
Drinking caffeine at different times of day
It is also important to notice if the time of day you drink caffeine or coffee changes the impact.
Most people experience some level of insulin resistance in the morning which wears off throughout the day. Adding coffee to an already insulin resistant situation can be the recipe for very high morning blood sugar. If you also have dawn phenomenon (high morning blood sugars), it might be an idea to convert your morning coffee into you afternoon pick-me-up.
What are you adding to your coffee
Even though flavored creamers only have a tablespoon of liquid, they have a lot of sugar which can make blood sugar levels go up.
A coffee drinker with diabetes could benefit from gradually adjusting their tastebuds to appreciate the taste of black coffee.
Try not having any sweetener or milk in your coffee for two weeks and see how you start to like the taste of black coffee. You might be surprised to find that you eventually find sweetened coffee to taste overwhelmingly sweet.
Using the spike from coffee to prevent lows…
and still get the benefits of exercise If you find that you have low blood sugar levels during or after exercising, you can help to limit this risk by drinking coffee, while still being able to enjoy the benefits of exercise.
Drinking coffee before working out can help prevent low blood sugar without the need to eat anything else. However, not all types of exercise have this effect, so it is important to combine coffee with the right type of exercise.
Do you need more insulin for coffee
To see how coffee affects your blood sugar, drink a cup and check your levels 1-2 hours later.
Many people find that they need a fast-acting insulin when they drink coffee.
If you want to test your body’s response to coffee, try not drinking it for a few days. If your insulin needs go down and your blood sugars are easier to manage, that means you need insulin to help your body deal with the effects of coffee.
This text is saying that if you want to limit your coffee intake, it is probably a good idea.
You could always switch to decaf
Caffeine is an addictive substance and quitting coffee can lead to withdrawal headaches that last for at least a week or two.
If you want to manage your diabetes without caffeine, you could switch to decaf coffee.
Decaf coffee still has a small amount of caffeine, but probably not enough to affect your blood sugar levels.
No matter what, it is always about finding the right balance – like everything else in life with diabetes!
Coffee is a popular drink enjoyed by millions of people. Some like to drink it black, while others enjoy all the flavored additions available. However, if you have diabetes it’s important to speak with your healthcare professional before consuming coffee, to make sure you’re making the best choices for your health. It’s also essential to have a discussion with your healthcare provider about your lifestyle habits, diet, and exercise routine.
If you have a family history of diabetes, you should talk to your doctor to learn about ways you can stay healthy and prevent the disease.