Daily caffeine consumption may cause blood sugar levels to spike in people with Type 2 diabetes, undermining efforts to control the disease, a study suggests.
In findings published in the February issue of Diabetes Care, researchers from Duke University Medical Center report, "caffeine exaggerates glucose and insulin responses to standardized carbohydrate loads in habitual coffee drinkers who have type 2 diabetes."
Dr. James Lane, the study's lead author, said this is the first time researchers have been able to track the effects of caffeine on patients in everyday life.
The study looked at 10 coffee drinkers with Type 2 diabetes who control their disease through diet, exercise and oral medications.
The five men and five women were given caffeine pills, equivalent to roughly four cups of coffee, to take with breakfast and lunch. Their blood sugar levels were monitored with a glucose sensor.
The researchers found that when the patients consumed caffeine, their average daily sugar levels went up eight per cent. Additionally, the caffeine exaggerated the rise in glucose after meals, boosting it by nine per cent after breakfast, 15 per cent after lunch and 26 per cent after dinner.
Lane said the research team was not sure why caffeine triggers a boost in blood sugar levels.
"It could be that caffeine interferes with the process that moves glucose from the blood and into muscle and other cells in the body where it is used for fuel," he said in a release. "It may also be that caffeine triggers the release of adrenaline — the 'fight or flight' hormone that we know can also boost sugar levels."
The study said the research "raises concerns about the potential hazards of caffeinated beverages for patients with Type 2 diabetes" as consumption of tea, coffee or soft drinks could produce similar results.
The researchers said the blood sugar boost provided by caffeine could disrupt clinical efforts to control glucose levels and increase the risk of complications.
"Coffee is such a common drink in our society that we forget that it contains a very powerful drug — caffeine. Our study suggests that one way to lower blood sugar is to simply quit drinking coffee, or any other caffeinated beverages. It may not be easy, but it doesn't cost a dime, and there are no side effects," Lane said.
Related
Internal Links
More Health Headlines »
- A&W given award for most salt content in kid's meals
- Fast-food company A&W was singled out Tuesday as the winner of the first national 'Salt Lick Award' for having the highest sodium content meal targeted at children with its Chubby Junior Kid's Meal.
- Researchers say under-the-tongue vaccine could lick the flu
- Flu vaccines may someday be slipped under the tongue rather than jabbed in the arm, Korean researchers say.
- Hand gel not enough to curb hospital infections: study
- Doctors and nurses on the go often skip soap and water in favour of an alcohol-based hand gel, but a new study suggests the quick-acting goo is not enough to kill bacteria and curb the spread of infection in hospitals.
- Death prompts Quebec coroner to warn about cold drug doses
- The coroner's office in Quebec is urging people to pay attention to the recommended dosages on over-the-counter medications, after a man died from consuming a volatile mix of cold and flu drugs.
- Parents of double set of twins to meet the media
- Joseph and Christa MacKinnon of Greenwood, Nova Scotia, seem to have beaten the odds by becoming proud parents of a double set of twins born at the same time.
Blog Watch
Most Blogged about CBC.ca Articles
Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites - link will open in new window
