Caffeine Consumption Hikes Blood Sugar Levels by 8 %
for Diabetics
by David Gutierrez
June 12 2008

Source:  Natural News

Contact information: Natural News

Diabetics who consume caffeine may experience a
significant increase in blood sugar, according to a
new study conducted by researchers from Duke
University Medical School and published in the journal
Diabetes Care.

Researchers placed tiny blood sugar monitors under the
skin of 10 people with Type 2 diabetes, which allowed
the participants' glucose levels to be tracked over
the course of a normal 72-hour period. Participants
were given a caffeine pill one day, and a placebo pill
the next.

When given the caffeine pill, the participants
experienced an 8 percent rise in blood sugar levels.
The increase was even stronger after meals, with blood
sugar increasing 9 percent after breakfast, 15 percent
after lunch and 26 percent after dinner. The increase
in blood sugar was not observed in those taking a
placebo pill.

The amount of caffeine contained in the pill was
roughly equivalent to the caffeine contained in four
cups of coffee.

Prior studies have shown that caffeine could increase
the body's insulin resistance, leading to an increase
in blood sugar levels. In people without diabetes,
however, this effect is fairly minor. In diabetics,
any increase in insulin resistance can have serious
consequences.

The researchers are now planning to conduct a larger
trial to study if diabetics can manage their blood
sugar better by removing caffeine from their diets.

"My advice would be, if patients are having trouble
controlling their blood glucose and they are coffee
drinkers, particularly heavy coffee drinkers, they
might want to give it a try to see if it makes a
difference to them," lead researcher James Lane said.

The reason that caffeine causes a spike in blood sugar
is not yet fully understood. According to Lane,
caffeine might interfere with the mechanisms that
remove glucose from the blood. Alternately, caffeine
consumption might cause the body to release
adrenaline, which is known to cause a rise in blood
sugar levels.