Is coffee inherently a dangerous substance, and should caffeine be stripped from our diets? There are some who say yes, and others who ignore all that. We are true coffee addicts and would be hard-pressed to give it up, but we are always interested in new data on caffeine.
So we couldn't avoid the two health alerts in the last week about coffee. The first is about diabetes and the other is a warning to pregnant women.
UK researchers announced results of a study that shows coffee may raise blood sugar in diabetics. The effect that they found was especially pronounced in the evenings. The key element of course is the caffeine; does cutting caffeine help control blood sugar levels? The researchers feel that more research is necessary to say conclusively, but there may be a correlation.
In other caffeine-related news, a study was released a week ago that ties increased rates of miscarriage and pregnancy issues to caffeine consumption. It is fairly standard in the West for pregnant women to completely go off caffeine, or to stick to decaf coffee, which has a small amount of caffeine. This study bolsters that accepted wisdom. Even though the data is not completely unambiguous, it supports again that in coffee and caffeine, like most other things, moderation is key.
We're not giving up our coffee any time soon, but we did switch from 2 or 3 cups of drip brew coffee to one small, rich cup of French press in the mornings.
(Image: BBC News)
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There is also research that suggests caffeine can boost metabolism and facilitate breathing in asthmatics. As in all food and drink, I think moderation is key.
I absolutely find that coffee does increase my blood sugar... quite a bummer, for a coffee-lovin girl with diabetes! Glad to finally see a scientific study that coroborates my experience
At ottan; Agreed. I'm an asthmatic and when having a minor attack a hot cup of coffee/tea can help soothe and promote breathing.
Meh. The pregnancy-related info isn't new. The standard-issue advice is that a pregnant woman shouldn't exceed two cups of coffee per day. And excessive caffeine consumption in the first trimester has been linked to a slightly higher risk of miscarriage for a while now. As ottan said, it's all about moderation.
Scare headlines like this are irritating. People rarely read the full article, but they still consider themselves "informed" enough to lecture pregnant women -- who DO tend to read the full article -- about their habits.
caffeine does elevate hormonal levels, which are tied to blood sugar levels/glucose tolerance. As a person with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) who, by virtue of having this disorder, is predispositioned to developing type II diabetes, i have been warned to moderate or eliminate caffeine from my diet, as it causes fluctuations in my hormonal levels, and thus my blood sugar, which means zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. just thought i'd share. :)
I gave up coffee completely for my first trimester but now that I'm 4 months, I look forward to having my coffee again. I have one cup a day, if even that and I've become very very choosy about my coffee because I don't want to waste my one cup on a crappy coffee. :) And like everyone else said, everything in moderation.