Caffeine and Blood Sugar

Dinner at Ruby Tuesday's, originally uploaded by Kodamakitty.

I wouldn't say I've done a ton of research about losing weight, but one of the more recent news items I've come across regarding insulin and blood sugar is the connection between caffeine intake and blood sugar.

For the past two weeks, I've cut back on my caffeine - drinking caffeine-free Diet Pepsi, mixing half sugar-free caffeine-free International Foods Café Mocha with half coffee for my daily cup at work, and only having one cup of coffee on the weekends at home. I'm not actually tracking my blood sugar at this point, but I figured every bit helps, right?

In thinking about this blog, I've been meaning to post this once I had a chance to find a reputable summary. So, on researching it this morning, I've found this happy (for me, at least) news:

From Mayo Clinic.com

Question
Does caffeine affect blood sugar?

Answer
Short-term studies indicate that caffeine impairs insulin action but not necessarily blood sugar (glucose) levels in young, healthy adults.

However, in individuals with type 2 diabetes, the impact of caffeine on insulin action may be associated with a small but detectable rise in blood sugar levels, particularly after meals. The amount of caffeine noted to have caused this effect was about 500 milligrams (or the equivalent of five cups of plain, brewed coffee) a day.

For individuals with type 2 diabetes who are struggling to control their blood sugar levels, limiting your caffeine intake may provide a benefit.



Even on a regular basis, it is very rare for me to drink more than two cups of coffee a day, so this is a bit of a relief. I love coffee (it would be my profession if it were more lucrative than higher education, to be perfectly honest). I thankfully don't have withdrawal symptoms if I don't have coffee, but I am one of those seeming few who actually LIKE the taste of the stuff (Geoff likes it more, he takes his black - I rarely drink mine straight).

Granted, I will probably still continue with my usual routine because it helps me cut down on the amount of cream and sugar I use with my coffee. I like diet soda just fine, but I find that sugar substitutes are just too sweet in anything else.