Can Diabetics Drink Coffee

A lot of people prefer to start their day with a cup of coffee, or two. Caffeine will fresh their mind and wake their body. But for diabetics, everything taken or drunk has to be aware of. Is coffee safe enough for people who have diabetes

Caffeine Risks for Diabetic People

A study led by Harvard School of Public Health came to the conclusion that higher coffee consumption was associated with lower type 2 diabetes risk. The study shows that people who increased the amount of coffee they drank by more than one cup per day over a 4-year period had an 11 percent lower risk for type 2 diabetes than those who made no changes to their coffee intake. And those who decreased their coffee consumption by more than one cup per day increased their chance of developing type 2 diabetes by 17 percent.

However, the study doesn’t show that people who have diabetes benefit from coffee. But some other studies did. And the results may not be pleasing for those coffee-loving diabetics. Duck University researchers studied the relationship of blood-sugar levels and caffeine intake. The result shows that the blood-sugar levels were 8% higher on the days the patients took caffeine. After every meal, their blood sugar spiked higher than it did on the day they had no caffeine. Although they only monitor 10 people with type 2 diabetes, the result can still show that caffeine have real effects on diabetes.

But the situation may differ when the factor of exercise has been included. A study done by 2014 found that caffeine along with prolonged exercise could reduce blood sugar levels.

Are There Other Components in Coffee Bad for Diabetics?

Although caffeine is the main ingredient in coffee, there are other components. Will they have a side effect on diabetes? Coffee contains polyphenols as much as tea. Polyphenols can help prevent inflammatory diseases including type 2 diabetes. And the minerals magnesium in it has been liked to lower rates of type 2 diabetes. The positive impact of these ingredients will offset the adverse effect of caffeine to some extent.

If dying for coffee, what should you do?

A common coffee is not only made from coffee beans. People like to add other ingredients to increase their flavors, such as sugar, milk, or even cream. Sugar and cream are definitely dangerous for diabetes. Therefore, it’s better to drink plain coffee or even decaffeinate coffee.

If you want to drink caffeinated coffee, talk to your doctor or a dietitian firstly. You may need to test your blood sugar after you drink coffee for a while. And find the proper consumption amount for you.

Take good care of yourself. A good habit will make your life happier.

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