Jury still out on caffeine and diabetes connection
If you have diabetes, you don't have to give up your daily cup of joe just yet.
While research over the past decade or so has suggested that caffeine temporarily inhibits the body's ability to process sugar, a new study suggests that coffee doesn't necessarily do harm or good on a diabetic.
The study
The large-scale experiment followed more than 100,000 men and women over the course of 22 years.
"We found that caffeine doesn't make a difference at all," said Dr. Frank Hu of Harvard University and the study's lead author. "Coffee can be beneficial and the caffeine doesn't appear to have a positive or negative effect on diabetes risk."
The results of the study confirmed what medical professionals already know about sugary drinks--they are linked to a higher risk for diabetes. But the study found that when those drinks had caffeine, diabetes risk was about the same. However, the people who didn't drink sugary beverages but consumed coffee had a slightly lower risk for the disease.
Coffee could lower diabetes risk?
People who drank both caffeinated and decaf coffee had a slightly lower risk for diabetes. The risk for female coffee drinkers was about 8 percent lower, and four percent lower for men--regardless of whether it was caffeinated or decaf coffee.
Researchers say the study sheds more light on the role of caffeine and its link to diabetes--a subject that needs more attention, especially given that people who drink sugary beverages might be able to substitute those for coffee and thus lower their risk factors for diabetes and other health conditions.
James Lane of Duke University has done studies on the caffeine-glucose connection.
"Our understanding of the body's tolerance to caffeine is not complete," said Lane.
Source: Fox News
More Articles
With its slightly nutty flavor, chewy texture, and nutritional punch farro is an ancient whole grain worth a place in our pantry.
Farro...
Having diabetes is cause for concern, however it doesn’t mean that you need to eliminate all of your favorite foods from your diet completely....
With diabetes becoming more of an epidemic each and every day, being knowledgeable about the disease, its effects on the body as well as ways to...
If you’re a diabetic or live with one, it can be tough trying to figure out the best foods to eat because your priority is to control your blood...
In this post, I will show you the 10 best ice creams for diabetics.
When you think of sweetened foods that a diabetic shouldn’t consume,...
More Articles
If you’re living with diabetes, snacking is a necessity because going for more than 3-4 hours without eating can be detrimental to your health....
For diabetics, choosing healthy snacks can be a daunting task.
A good rule of thumb is to pick out snacks that are rich in protein, fiber,...
According to information available through the National Institutes of Health, there’s an estimated 462 million people in the world who are...
Eleven Clinical Studies
After eleven clinical studies and 300,000 participants, researcher Vasanti Malik and her team of researchers...
Diabetic women often have a harder time losing weight than non-diabetic women. A study funded by Jenny Craig proved that diabetic women have an...
Many recent studies have proved that magnesium levels are lower in patients with diabetes than in non-diabetics. This magnesium...
Fluid retention, also known as edema, is a problem that affects many diabetics, especially those with type 2 diabetes...
Some of us might be thrilled if we could manage our blood sugar by sitting in a hot tub or sauna, instead of working up a sweat biking, or using...
Cooking and baking with the ancient cereal grain sorghum has health benefits for people with diabetes, and those with weight control issues....
When it comes to certain foods, there are always questions as to whether or not a diabetic can have them without...
Matcha tea is a rich, creamy, full-bodied beverage with amazing nutritional properties that address several diabetes health concerns.
The...
Salads are good example of foods that type 2 diabetics can enjoy with relatively low guilt. With the right greens and other elements added, salad...
Remaining gainfully employed is important to many people. Those who live with any form of diabetes may find that some lines of work are more...
Learning that you have diabetes does mean making some lifestyle changes. One of the areas that needs attention is your diet. Most people find that...
One of the more challenging aspects of life as a type 2 diabetic is managing your diet. There’s often the temptation to avoid certain foods...