When researchers examined the effects of coffee on diabetes and cardiovascular disease, they found that moderate coffee consumption was not harmful. Some people, however, may need or want to stay away from coffee because of the caffeine that it contains. Coffee additives such as creamers, sweeteners and flavorings are not desirable for controlling cholesterol and diabetes.
A 6 oz. cup of coffee contains 2 calories, 0.04 g of fat and no carbohydrates. If you use carbohydrate counting for diabetes meal planning, you will not have to count coffee as one of your carbohydrate servings. However, adding creamer, sugar, milk or other flavorings to coffee adds fat, calories and carbohydrate. Check the nutrition facts label of anything you add to your coffee in order to figure out the fat and carbohydrate content of the product. For example, one serving of a powdered, instant, cappuccino-flavored coffee beverage contains 0.72 g of fat, 11 g of carbohydrate and 53 calories. If you use carbohydrate counting for your diabetes meal plan, count that beverage as one of your carbohydrate servings.
Effects
Research by the Harvard School of Public Health indicates that people who drank as much as 6 cups of coffee per day had the same mortality rate as non-coffee drinkers. Additionally, research published by the American Society for Nutrition found that drinking coffee had no detrimental effects on cholesterol levels or blood glucose. This same study suggested that coffee consumption may actually be beneficial for improving HDL, also known as high-density lipoprotein, the "good" cholesterol.
Risks
While coffee contains nutrients that may be beneficial, it can be a problem for some people due to its caffeine content. Rob van Dam, M.D., of the Harvard School of Public Health states that some people, including pregnant women and people who have difficulty controlling their diabetes or blood pressure, should abstain from coffee altogether or consider switching to decaffeinated.
Learning More
Talk to your doctor about the benefits and the risks associated with drinking coffee, especially if you have high cholesterol and diabetes. Every person has unique dietary needs, therefore it's important that people with diabetes and high cholesterol meet with a registered dietitian to discuss how coffee fits into an overall daily meal plan.
References
- Diabetes Care: Coffee Consumption and Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases and All-Cause Mortality Among Men With Type 2 Diabetes, Zhang, et al.
- "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Effects of Coffee Consumption on Subclinical Risk Inflammation and Other Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes: A Clinical Trial; Kerstin Kempf, et al.; 2010
- Harvard School of Public Health, Ask the Expert: Coffee and Health; Rob van Dam, M.D.
