Moderate coffee intake on a regular basis may reduce your risk of heart disease, liver cancer, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. High daily coffee intake may even reduce your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. For those who already have diabetes, however, coffee and other caffeinated beverages may make it more difficult to control blood sugar levels.
Caffeine and Blood Sugar
Caffeine does not necessarily impact blood sugar in healthy adults, though it does hinder insulin action, MayoClinic.com suggests. For adults with Type 2 diabetes, however, caffeine's impact on insulin often causes elevated blood sugar. In a study performed by Duke University's James D. Lane, participants who took 250 mg doses of caffeine at breakfast and lunch experienced higher post-meal blood sugar levels than on days when they took placebos. Their average blood sugar levels on caffeine days were 8 percent higher than on days when they took placebos.
Caffeine and Diabetes Risk
Several studies have found a connection between caffeinated coffee consumption and a reduced risk for Type 2 diabetes. A 2011 study published in the journal "Diabetes" found that women who drank 4 cups of coffee daily had higher levels of a hormone-regulating protein that keeps sex hormones, long believed to play a role in diabetes development, under control. An analysis of nearly 20 studies on the topic found that people who drank 3 to 4 cups of coffee each day had a 25 percent lower risk of diabetes than those who drank 2 or fewer cups each day, "Diabetes Forecast" magazine notes. Even decaffeinated coffee may provide benefits. Drinking 4 or more cups of decaffeinated coffee each day could reduce your risk of diabetes by 36 percent, and drinking 4 or more cups of tea per day may reduce your risk by 18 percent, "Diabetes Forecast" notes.
Other Health Risks
Caffeinated beverages, particularly coffee and soda, may pose some health risks. People who drink sugar-sweetened sodas on a daily basis have an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, according to a 2011 study conducted at the Harvard School of Public Health. This study contradicted previous research that had linked the consumption of artificially sweetened diet soda to Type 2 diabetes risk. Drinking coffee may lead to high blood pressure or higher cholesterol levels, notes "Diabetes Forecast" magazine. However, Rob van Dam of the Harvard School of Public Health suggests that coffee has only a short-term effect on blood pressure. Many types of coffee, including espresso, filtered coffees and instant coffee, contain none of the cholesterol-raising component known as cafestol.
Alternative Beverages
Diabetics should consider switching to decaffeinated coffee or soda. Other alternatives to caffeinated drinks include decaffeinated teas, sparkling water and unsweetened sodas, drink mixes, tonic water and flavored water. All of these beverages appear on the free foods list in the diabetes exchange system.
References
- CBS News: Diabetes Sufferers: Beware of Caffeine; Daniel DeNoon; January 2008
- Diabetes Forecast: Coffee for Type 2 Prevention?
- Diabetes Forecast: Virtue or Vice?
- "Archives of Internal Medicine"; Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee, and Tea Consumption in Relation to Incident Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus; Rachel Huxley, et al.; December 2009
- Harvard School of Public Health: Diet Soda Does Not Appear to Boost Type 2 Diabetes Risk
- ScienceDaily; Why Coffee Protects Against Diabetes; January 2011
