Today I wanted to share an interesting guest post from Karl Adams on the relationship between coffee and diabetes. It’s an eye-opening and intriguing read, for both coffee drinkers & diabetics.
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What Effect Does Drinking Coffee Have On Diabetes?
Coffee has had a bad reputation as a drink over the years, but recently it seems as though that is changing. There is evidence that drinking coffee can actually offer protection against illnesses such as cancer and Parkinson’s disease. There is also evidence that intake of coffee may help to stave off the onset of type 2 diabetes.
This could be good news for people who enjoy a cup of coffee and want help with protection against this form of diabetes. Although, the best way to protect yourself against the condition is still to maintain a healthy weight and exercise regularly.
Understanding Type 2 Diabetes
To understand the effects of coffee, it helps to understand what type 2 diabetes is. The condition means that the sufferer is not able to produce enough insulin in their body, or is resistant to the effects of insulin. This means that the insulin cannot enable glucose to enter the cells of the body as it should, meaning that the glucose remains in the bloodstream. This can lead to serious damage of the feet, eyes and kidneys if the condition is not treated.
Coffee & The Prevention Of Diabetes
Research has shown that there could be a link between the increased intake of coffee and a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This includes a study by researchers at Harvard which showed that from a study of more than 100,000 people, those who drank more than one more cup of coffee each day decreased their chances of developing type 2 diabetes by 11% whereas people who drank one less cup of coffee each day increased their risk of developing the condition by 17%. The reason for these effects is not certain as caffeine actually seems to increase glucose levels and insulin resistance.
The Harmful Effects Of Caffeine When Type 2 Diabetes Is Present
Strangely, although coffee has been shown to have potentially positive effects when it comes to reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, the situation is far less positive for people who already have the condition. Caffeine is one of the ingredients found in coffee and it seems to have adverse effects.
Anyone who has type 2 diabetes needs to use regular supplies from professionals such as USMED in order to test their blood sugar levels on a regular basis. When they do this after drinking a caffeine based drink such as coffee and then eating a meal, they often find that glucose levels are raised. Research has shown that drinking caffeine before a meal can also increase insulin resistance in people who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Given all of the information that is available, it seems as though drinking additional coffee each day could help to prevent type 2 diabetes, although the actual effects may depend on other aspects such as diet, levels of exercise and genetics as well. Once a person has been diagnosed as suffering from type 2 diabetes, it seems that the caffeine which is present in coffee can be harmful.
[ This is a sponsored guest post and as such the ideas and opinions expressed are of the writer. ]
10 comments
This looks like an interesting preliminary study though clearly more research is needed.
great post, Caz — & I agree, Anne – also that it’s more evidence that each of us needs to continually teach ourselves to be aware of how our own unique bodies feel, rather than just operate on how we think we should feel
This is some really interesting information Caz – thanks for sharing! I love my morning coffee so I’m glad to see some good news about it. ???? Pinning!
I learn so much here. I didn’t know this.
Have a fabulous day and weekend. ♥
Very interesting! I prefer the taste of tea, but coffee smells good…. maybe I need to drink a bit more of it.
When I first read about coffee being good for you, I was glad I didn’t listen to the old comments about it being the opposite. I love my morning coffee.
Very helpful. Thanks for sharing, Caz.
Wonderful share and great information !
I’ve never really liked the taste of coffee. My dad used to tell me when I was little that coca cola was my coffee, so I used to think it was the same thing…. coca cola when cold and coffee when he heated. I used to tell him, “Yuck! Who would ruin their coke like that!” LOL 😉
God bless you, Caz!
Very interesting. I hadn’t heard this before. I was diagnosed as prediabetic last year, and have adopted a low carb diet to try to reduce the likelihood of developing full-blown diabetes. I will clearly need to start drinking more coffee as well!