High blood sugar? Try switching to decaf coffee!

Scientists at Duke University (Durham, North Carolina), working under the guidance of Dr. James Lane, examined 10 patients with type 2 diabetes who drink at least 2 cups of coffee a day and simultaneously fight the disease with diet, exercise and oral medications, without resorting to this leads to the introduction of insulin. Each of the participants was injected under the skin of the abdomen with a tiny monitor that monitors blood glucose levels for 72 hours.

During the experiment, participants took capsules containing a total amount of caffeine equivalent to about 4 cups of coffee during the day. During the next day, the caffeine capsules were replaced with placebo capsules. All participants received the same breakfast – a glass of a nutritious drink, and for lunch and dinner they ate any food of their choice.

On the "caffeine day", the average daily blood sugar level of patients increased by 8% compared to the average daily value in the absence of caffeine. Caffeine also aggravated the increase in glucose levels after meals: by 9% after breakfast, by 15% after lunch and by 26% after dinner.

The reasons for this effect of caffeine on glucose levels are unclear, but the authors express several theories. It is possible that caffeine disrupts the process of moving glucose from the blood to the muscles and other tissues of the body, where it is broken down in order to obtain energy. It is also possible that caffeine triggers the release of adrenaline, which significantly increases blood sugar levels.

We are so used to coffee that we often forget that it contains caffeine, a compound that has a pronounced effect on the human body. Currently, there are no recommendations according to which diabetics should deny themselves caffeinated beverages, however, if the results obtained by the authors are confirmed, the situation may change.

Portal "Eternal youth" www.vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of ScienceDaily.

29.01.2008