How Are You Sweetening Your Coffee What You Add To Your Cup May Affect Your Blood Sugar Levels
Whether you were recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or have been living with the condition for several years, you know how fickle blood sugar levels can be, and how important it is that they stay controlled.
Proper blood sugar control is key for warding off potential;diabetes;complications, such as kidney disease, nerve damage, vision problems, stroke, and heart disease, according to the National Institutes of Health . Plus, keeping your levels in check on a daily basis can help you stay energized, focused, and in a good mood, explains Lisa McDermott, RD, CDCES,;a diabetes specialist with the Pittsburgh-based Allegheny Health Network.
According to the American Diabetes Association , proper medication, effective meal planning, regular exercise, and regular blood sugar checks can all help you keep your levels within a healthy range. The ADA recommends blood glucose stay within 80 to 130 milligrams per deciliter before meals and below 180 mg/dL two hours after the start of a meal. Furthermore, the organization recommends getting an;A1C test, which measures your average blood glucose over the past two to three months, at least twice per year if your levels are stable and you are meeting treatment goals.
Drinking Coffee With Diabetes: Does It Help Or Harm
Is your java habit good or bad for blood sugar? Heres what endocrinologists want you to know.
Is coffee healthy to drink when you have diabetes? A Google search can be confusing. For one thing, many studies point out that drinking coffee may reduce your diabetes risk; other headlines discuss whether coffee can spike blood sugar once youre diagnosed with diabetes. So we talked to endocrinologists and took a closer look at the research to understand coffees role in managing type 2 diabetes.
Side Effects Of Matcha Tea
No doubt matcha tea has a range of benefits. Drinking matcha tea daily is safe for an average person. But it also has some drawbacks. So, lets give it a look.
- Matcha tea is rare and more expensive than coffee.
- Excessive intake of matcha tea may lead to liver damage. It also can cause digestive issues such as nausea, acid reflux, and constipation.
- Consumption of strong matcha tea can increase the amount of acid in your stomach.
- The caffeine content of matcha tea produces a laxative effect that may upset your stomach. Heavy Intake of matcha tea can cause diarrhea.
- Matcha tea contains L-theanine, which can interrupt your sleep by increasing alertness.
- A high intake of matcha tea can lead to vomiting. Because it contains tannin, a component that can be harmful to your health.
- Matcha tea components can lower your blood pressure, which can lead to various diseases.
- People who are caffeine sensitive should avoid matcha tea. excessive consumption of this tea increases the risk of bone diseases.
- Matcha tea contains tannins, caffeine, and catechins, all of these are harmful to pregnant women. Also, not good for the child.
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How Is Diarrhea Treated
Treatment can vary. Your doctor may first prescribe Lomotil or Imodium to reduce or prevent future bouts of diarrhea. They may also advise you to change your eating habits. Including high-fiber foods in your diet may help limit your symptoms.
Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics if your test results suggest an overgrowth of bacteria in your gastrointestinal system. You may also need antispasmodic medicines to reduce your number of bowel movements.
Depending on their assessment, your doctor may refer you to a gastroenterologist for further investigation.
Effect Of Coffee On Blood Sugar Level If You Are Not Diabetic
Let us begin by first understanding the effect of coffee on people who are not suffering from diabetes already. The following are the effects:
- Coffee reduces the risk of contracting type 2 diabetes if you consume a moderate amount of coffee.
- Studies have proved that with every cup of coffee consumed, the risk of getting the above disease is reduced by 4-8%.
- In the short term, the drinking of coffee can lead to increased blood sugar level of the body causing diabetes. However, the same may not be true in the long term.
- Finally, the long- term benefits of coffee come from the fact that if your body is habituated to the caffeine present in coffee, the blood sugar level will not be affected and that is why in the long term, coffee will not lead to increased blood sugar level or even diabetes.
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All Carbs Are Created Equal
Phipps explains that, despite containing similar amounts of carbohydrates, one serving of pasta could have a hugely different effect on your blood glucose levels than one serving of rice. Likewise, that serving of pasta may have an entirely different effect on your blood glucose levels than your friendsâ or even family membersâ. âWeâre all unique,â Phipps says.
Side Effects Of Drinking Coffee
While coffee is safe to drink for almost everyone, it does have potential side effects that can be more or less severe depending on the individual:
For some, regular coffee drinking can also cause digestive issues.
In extremely rare cases, high doses of caffeine can induce psychotic and manic symptoms. People with panic disorder and performance social anxiety disorder should, therefore, be careful when consuming caffeine.
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Is It Ok To Have Black Coffee Before A Fasting Blood Test
Can you drink coffee if youre fasting before a blood test? Even if you drink it black, coffee can interfere with blood test results. Thats because it contains caffeine and soluble plant matter, which might skew your test results. Coffee is also a diuretic, which means that it will increase how much you pee.
What About The Caffeine In Coffee
Thereâs another twist to the story. Studies show that coffee may lower your odds of getting type 2 diabetes in the first place. Experts think thatâs because the drink is high in antioxidants. These compounds reduce inflammation in your system, which can raise your chance of having the disease.
If you already have type 2 diabetes, this may not hold true. The caffeine in a cup of java makes it tougher to control your blood sugar. If yours spikes after your morning cup, you may want to switch to decaf. Even though this drink has a tiny amount of caffeine, it doesnât have the same effect on your blood sugar or insulin.
FDA: âMedicines in My Home: Caffeine and Your Body.â
Diabetes Care: âAcute Effects of Decaffeinated Coffee and the Major Coffee Components Chlorogenic Acid and Trigonelline on Glucose Tolerance,â âCaffeine: A Cause of Insulin Resistance?â âCaffeine Can Decrease Insulin Sensitivity in Humans,â âCaffeine Increases Ambulatory Glucose and Postprandial Responses in Coffee Drinkers With Type 2 Diabetes,â âCoffee, Caffeine, and Type 2 Diabetes.â
Mayo Clinic: âCaffeine Content for Coffee, Tea, Soda and More,â âCaffeine: Does It Affect Blood Sugar?â âDiabetes: Complications,â âNutrition and Healthy Eating.â
Joslin Diabetes Center: âWhat Is Insulin Resistance?â
American Diabetes Association: âType 2.â
Sacha Uelmen, director of nutrition, American Diabetes Association.
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After Diabetes: Can Coffee Raise Your Blood Sugar Levels
If you are a regular coffee drinker and have been recently diagnosed with diabetes, you may notice a spike in your blood sugar levels after you down your morning latte. For some people with diabetes, caffeine can simulate a stress response that releases sugar from the liver, raising blood sugar levels. But that doesnt necessarily mean you have to give up your cuppa brew. First of all, caffeine can affect people differently, so just because it sends your friends blood sugar skyrocketing doesnt mean it will do the same to yours.
If there is a question about the coffees relationship to a rise in blood glucose, I have patients wear a continuous glucose monitoring device and we can watch the glucose response to the coffee, says Stuart Weiss, MD, clinical assistant professor of endocrinology at NYU Langone Health.
If you dont have a continuous glucose monitor, test blood sugar levels before and after you drink coffee and keep a record to show your doctor. Before you take your first sip in the morning, Dr. Weiss recommends you drink a glass of water first. Being well hydrated helps to modulate the rise seen in glucose.
Only Diabetics Get High Glucose Values
While a high glucose value can indicate diabetes, nondiabetics can also have higher values than normal. When researchers studied people wearing a continuous glucose monitor who did not have a diabetes diagnosis, they found 93% of individuals reached glucose levels that are considered dangerous, with 10% spending over 2 hours per day in these dangerous levels. Traditional glucose measurements, like a single point in time blood glucose value, are unable to capture these abnormalities.
There are actually several causes of high blood sugar unrelated to diabetes that the CDC recognizes. These include certain foods, like artificial sweeteners and coffee. Other factors like stress can do it, too. If you live with an endocrine or pancreatic condition, had surgery recently, or are experiencing intense physical stress , you may also see your glucose value rise.
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Drink Decaffeinated Coffee Instead
If you have diabetes, just having about 200 milligrams of caffeine can affect your blood sugar. This is the amount of caffeine you get in about one or two cups of brewed coffee or three or four cups of black tea. This means black coffee is a better option for people with diabetes.
However, different people may react to it differently, depending on certain factors like age, weight and how much caffeine one usually takes.
If you have diabetes but can’t do without a cup of coffee in the morning, experts suggest drinking . This will help you get the benefits of other compounds in coffee such as magnesium, chromium and polyphenols without affecting insulin sensitivity.
Some studies suggest that the antioxidants in coffee can help reduce inflammation in your system and lower your odds of getting type 2 diabetes in the first place.
Why Does Coffee Affect Diabetic Patients Differently
Some people complain that their blood sugar spikes up after drinking only one cup of coffee. But that does not happen to everybody. The answer to this problem is metabolism. Metabolism refers to the processes that occur in the body once the food is eaten.; If you metabolize the coffee fast, your body will be able to tolerate more and it will not spike your blood sugar. But if you are a slow metabolizer, the coffee intake will raise your blood glucose level.
Bottom line
If your blood sugar spikes after drinking coffee then you have to be careful. Always consume a balanced diet and avoid products that contain saturated fat. Try reducing the amount of sugar and creamers in your coffee. Add exercise to your daily routine. Exercise increases insulin sensitivity and reduces blood glucose.
Ahmet Ergin, MD, FACE, CDCES, ECNU
Endocrinologist, Diabetes Educator
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Ways In Which Coffee Impacts Diabetes
Coffee is good news for diabetes, only if you do not have it. Yes, coffee impacts diabetes negatively! For people with diabetes andprediabetes, coffee spells nothing but trouble. Not having coffee seems like a contradiction in terms, but it is precisely what research indicates.
Coffee has thousands of natural enzymes including caffeine that affect the body in many ways. Coffee drinkers have high levels of SHBG hormone, i.e. Sex Hormone Binding Globulin. Research has shown that people with high levels of SHBG hormone do not tend to develop diabetes. This conclusive research proves the protective benefits of coffee, but only if you already do not have the disease.
If you have diabetes or you are prediabetic, then coffee is undoubtedly bad for you. Here are three upsetting ways in which drinking coffee impacts diabetes.
High levels of insulin can damage the kidneys, nervous system, and even vision.
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So Bring On The Coffee
If you enjoy coffee, there is no need to quit just because you have diabetes. But it is key to monitor your blood sugar;levels after consuming coffee to get a better sense of its effects on your body.
Talk to your healthcare provider as well to determine if and how much coffee will benefit you specifically.
And if you find yourself reaching for a cup of coffee every morning, be sure it is part of a healthy, balanced breakfast. You can find ideas for healthy breakfast options here.
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Coffee Does Not Seem To Raise My Blood
The graphs below show my blood-glucose levels over a 4-hour period for three separate experiments. The blue line is the blood glucose on a morning I drank coffee. The red line is on a morning without coffee.
Experiment one
The first experiment indicated that coffee may raise my blood sugar. But only slightly:
The graph above could suggest that drinking coffee prevents my blood-sugar levels from dropping to the same levels as the morning when I didnt drink coffee.
Experiment two
The second experiment indicates that coffee does NOT noticeably raise my blood sugar. Theres a lot of variety in my blood-glucose levels on these two days, but to us it seems that coffee does not raise my blood sugar relative to not drinking coffee .
Experiment three
The third experiment also suggests that coffee does not raise my blood sugar much. My blood-sugar levels are quite flat, both on the morning when I drank coffee and the morning I didnt, indicating that the coffee didnt impact my blood-sugar levels much.
When To See Your Doctor
You should see your doctor if youre experiencing frequent diarrhea. Theyll look at your health profile and assess your blood sugar levels. They may also perform a brief physical exam to help rule out any other medical conditions.
Before you start a new medication or another treatment regimen, your doctor will want to be sure that you arent experiencing any other gastrointestinal issues.
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How Tea Aids Diabetics
Is Green tea;good for diabetics? Drinking green tea for diabetes has been recommended as it is considered to help sensitize the cells, improving their capability to;metabolize sugar or in other words, green tea lowers blood sugar levels making it one of the best teas for diabetes. Another way in which tea functions against the disease is by helping curb obesity.
Tea contains the antioxidant polyphenols, which reduces stress and widens the arteries. This aids in reducing;cholesterol and decreasing blood. Polyphenols also;regulate glucose which controls diabetes.
Black tea is also shown to prevent Type 2 diabetes. This highly fermented brew converts the simple flavonoid compounds to complex compounds.
To gain the maximum advantage of tea, it is best to have it without additives such as milk or sugar. This will let you reap maximum benefits from the drink. It is important to note that tea in itself is not a magical cure, those suffering from diabetes need to focus on physical fitness and a healthy diet as well.
Cups Of Coffee A Day For Type 2 Diabetes
Coffee is one thing that we all love but cant really decide if its good for us or not. Research in the past has shown that coffee and diabetes dont go well together. However, a new research, funded by American Diabetes Association , indicates that coffee is good for: Cardiovascular diseases Cancer Parkinsons disease According to the research conducted by Marilyn Cornelis, PhD, from NFU School of Medicine: coffee has the most potential to prevent type 2 diabetes. What is more, WHO has released guidelines for dietary recommendation for Americans for 2015-2020, in which they state that 3-5 cups of coffee is associated with health benefits . Seems like both the latest research and even WHO is pro-coffee. I know Im pro-coffee myself, being an avid coffee drinker and I think its great Im doing something good for myself by having a cup of coffee a day! Let alone 5 cups! You can download the WHO statement here, Ive copied the section about coffee for you here : Let me pour myself another cup of coffee right now because were going to see: Why is coffee good for us? What does other research about coffee and diabetes suggest How much sugar and milk I personally add to my coffee? Ill reveal my own easy recipe for diabetes-friendly coffee Im drinking one right now! In short, do coffee and diabetes go hand in hand together? Lets find out: Coffee and Diabetes An Age Old Question I dont really know anybody that wouldnt lContinue reading >>
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Before Diabetes: Can Coffee Reduce Your Risk
Perhaps the best news for coffee drinkers worried about their diabetes risk is this 2005 JAMA review: After researchers analyzed data from nine separate studies on more than 193,000 participants, they concluded that regular coffee drinking was associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. But was the coffee itself or the caffeine responsible for the benefits?
In various studies, as coffee and tea consumption increases, the risk of diabetes decreases, says Caroline Messer, MD, an endocrinologist at Lenox Hill Hospital. Subjects who drank six cups of coffee daily were at lower risk for diabetes than those who drank less than two cups of coffee per day. This phenomenon was observed for both caffeinated and decaffeinated beverages. This suggests that caffeine may not be the only driver behind the improvement in blood sugar levels among java lovers.
Drinking coffee was associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
A 2016 study published in the International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences concluded that caffeine along with chlorogenic acid, a strong antioxidant found in coffee, improves insulin sensitivity and lowers levels of uric acid and sugar in the body. Too much uric acid in the blood can lead to insulin resistance and increased risk of diabetes. The study only included coffee, not tea, which implies there are certain components of coffee beyond caffeine that improve insulin sensitivity.