Can you have diabetes and drink coffee? An alarming study

There is a study from prestigious Duke University that suggests that diabetes and coffee may not be a good combination. The fact of the matter is that there are mixed results when it comes to very popular hot beverage that helps so many people start their day. The University study reveals that the caffeine in coffee is clearly bad for a person with diabetes. For the diabetic it is important to know how the body reacts to certain foods and beverages in order to keep  blood sugar level normal, the question of caffeine has puzzled health researchers when it come to high blood sugar for a long time.

 

Java is the beverage of choice for millions of people worldwide, there are literally many who cannot start their day without it but those with high blood sugar should be very cautious about the caffeine according to a Duke University study.

 

Researchers tested the affects of caffeine on a group of regular coffee drinkers with diabetes and the results were alarming, the caffeine caused a very significant rise in blood sugar levels. What makes the study most interesting is that the caffeine was administered to those who were regular coffee drinkers?  Many studies have shown that coffee or caffeine can prevent high blood sugar, so why the mixed results? According to researchers those previous tests were done on people without diabetes, maybe caffeine can help prevent high blood sugar but apparently it makes it worst in people who are already diabetics.  It is clear from the study that the caffeine was not good for the diabetic.

 

 

“These are clinically significant blood-sugar elevations due to caffeine,"  Dr. James Lane who lead the University study

 "Caffeine increases blood glucose by as much as oral diabetes medications decrease it. ... It seems the detrimental effects of caffeine are as bad as the beneficial effects of oral diabetes drugs are good."

He says it does show that caffeine has real effects on the everyday lives of people with diabetes.

"For people with diabetes, drinking coffee or consuming caffeine in other beverages may make it harder for them to control their glucose," said Lane

 

Dr. Lane answered the question as to why so many studies show a blood sugar benefit from drinking coffee. He stated the benefits in coffee are not from the caffeine but from other compounds in the beverage.

 

The take home message from the study:

"if there are anti-diabetes compounds in coffee, they don't offset the harmful effects of caffeine" Dr.Lane