Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Gerri on September 12, 2011 at 9:58pm

Caffeine effects me badly. I only drink decaf, but it's strong French Roast espresso grind decaf & I can't taste the difference.

What does your meter say, Sarah?

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Permalink Reply by Natalie ._c- on September 12, 2011 at 10:01pm

I drink black tea, not coffee, and it DOES have an effect on my BGs. I even tried green tea, with nothing added, with the same result.
20-40 mg/dl rise. I wonder if caffeine stimulates adrenaline or some other hormone, which would account for the rise.

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Permalink Reply by Gerri on September 12, 2011 at 10:27pm

I think caffeine since it's a stimulant does cause an adrenaline increase. Even before I was diabetic, caffeine made my hands shake.

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Permalink Reply by Baby Tee on September 12, 2011 at 10:50pm

As far as caffinated drinks, I exclusively drink tea, never coffee. I just haven't been able to kick the caffeine. I should, though.

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Permalink Reply by Kд§$ị (ИσvΔ) on September 12, 2011 at 11:18pm

Caffeine consumption can and often does mimic the same reaction the body has during a hypoglycemic episode. The caffeine triggers the brain, which sends a signal to the adrenal gland. Adrenaline begins coursing through your blood stream. As it begins to pass through your liver, the adrenaline causes the liver to begin releasing sugar into the blood stream. This same reaction occurs as a life-saving measure the body is built-in with to prevent or delay the effects of hypoglycemia.

Caffeine consumed on a regular basis over the course of a long period of time (like I did) can also cause insulin resistance.

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Permalink Reply by Kelly WPA on September 13, 2011 at 4:58am

Here is an article quoting a guy from the Harvard School of Public Health about the effects of caffeine.


http://www.forecast.diabetes.org/magazine/features/virtue-or-vice

Coffee

Pro: Recent research suggests your daily cup of coffee may reduce the risk of liver cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, type 2 diabetes, depression, and gallstones. According to Rob van Dam, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, the findings are promising but inconclusive

Con: The caffeine in coffee is responsible for the jittery feeling you experience after downing too many venti mochas (and the withdrawal headache you get if you skip a daily dose). It may also cause elevated post-meal blood glucose levels. In addition, the stimulant has been linked to high blood pressure and high cholesterol as well. And if you’re hooked on specialty coffee beverages laced with syrup and topped with whipped cream, that’s a whole lot of carbs and fat, too.

What that means for you: According to van Dam, caffeine’s effect on blood pressure is short-lived. And while coffee contains a component called cafestol that raises LDL (bad) cholesterol, it is removed from espresso and other filtered coffees and not present in instant coffee. (Nonfiltered coffee, like that made using a French press, still has it.) The blood glucose connection is real, says van Dam, but you can prevent it by switching to decaf. If you don’t function without a regular cup of joe, monitor your blood glucose levels to determine how coffee affects you. Most people can enjoy coffee in moderation (about 300 to 400 milligrams of caffeine a day, the equivalent of three or four cups of coffee).

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Permalink Reply by Emily Coles on September 13, 2011 at 12:41pm

It never even occurred to me that caffeine could affect my blood sugar until this past weekend, when I had a conversation with a fellow diabetic who told me she has to bolus 0.5 units for a cup of coffee. I always thought it was a "free food"! Well, I still think it is, for me, but maybe it's different for different people. I've never noticed it to make a difference in my blood sugar. Now, if I'm drinking a lot of it because I haven't slept, then my sugar goes up. But I think that has more to do with fatigue.

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Permalink Reply by Mr. MOM on September 13, 2011 at 12:43pm

haha hey i just created a group called coffee 'betics, though im thinking of renaming it caffeine 'betics to open it to a larger group of people.... but this is just the thing i was looking for, something that says a group that i started may just "take-off".

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Permalink Reply by Med on September 13, 2011 at 1:01pm

Thankfully I fall in to the group that sees no effect!

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Permalink Reply by Anne on September 15, 2011 at 6:44pm

The interesting thing is that caffeine in coffee seems to not affect my BS as much as caffeine in diet coke.

I've noticed I can't drink diet coke anymore. I also can't bolus for it because it's unpredictable if and how much it makes my bs sky rocket.

Coffee does a little but I can't tell if it's really the caffeine or... well, the coffee/milk. I mean, it's not "zero carb" coffee.

I think it may have a hand in my bs not dropping for a longer period of time. Similar to cottage cheese, e.g.

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Permalink Reply by Cora on September 16, 2011 at 1:18pm

I've been lucky and caffeine doesn't affect my glucose levels (I've tested and checked). I'm not much of a caffeine junky, but it's nice to know that I don't have to worry about bolusing for it.

Cora

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Permalink Reply by Aimee on September 16, 2011 at 3:13pm

I am type 2 and I think it raises my blood sugar. I have heard that people are most insulin resistant in the mornings. Since I drink coffee only in the mornings I am not sure how much my high readings are due to the caffeine and how much they are due to my insulin resistance. I am not giving up my coffee either way, so I guess it doesn't matter! I just give myself an extra bolus for the coffee.

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