Can diabetics drink coffee and how can it be replaced?

How does drinking coffee affect your overall health? Coffee benefits and harms. There is a lot of controversy about this beloved drink. Is it good for health, can it be consumed if you have high blood pressure, can you drink coffee if you have type 2 diabetes . Scientists' research on this drink will be of interest not only to people with diabetes.

The debate about the benefits of drinking 3-4 cups of coffee a day has been going on for a long time. And even today it is not fully settled. But many studies persistently point to another positive aspect of drinking the black drink.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease that affects how your body processes glucose in the blood. Glucose, also known as blood sugar, fuels our brain and provides energy to our muscles and tissues.

If you have diabetes, it means there is too much glucose in your blood. This occurs when your body becomes insulin resistant and can no longer efficiently absorb glucose into your cells for energy. Excess blood glucose can cause serious health problems. There are a number of factors that can cause diabetes.

Diabetes can be chronic, gestational, and there is a variant of borderline diabetes, the so-called prediabetes. Chronic diabetes comes in two types—type 1 and type 2. Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy but tends to go away after birth. Prediabetes, sometimes called borderline diabetes, means your blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not so high that you are diagnosed with diabetes.

Signs and symptoms of diabetes include:

• increased thirst,
• unexplained weight loss,
• fatigue,
• irritability

If you think you have these symptoms, you should contact your doctor.

Composition of coffee and its benefits

The benefits and harms of each drink depend on the composition and volume of consumption. To assess the effect of coffee on the body in type 2 diabetes, it is important to study its composition and general properties. The sensitivity of the organism itself is also of great importance.

The most valuable components of coffee beans are the alkaloid caffeine and chlorogenic acid.

It contains in small quantities:

• mineral salts;
• trigonelline;
• organic acids;
• resins;
• essential oils;
• ash, etc.

During heat treatment, some of the compounds are destroyed, and various transformations of some components into others occur. As a result, the amount of caffeine remains almost unchanged, part of the chlorogenic acid is destroyed, but aromatic compounds, essential oils are released and flavor compounds are formed.

As a result, the drink prepared from roasted grains acquires the following properties:

• stimulates the nervous system;
• increases mental and physical activity;
• relieves fatigue and drowsiness;
• provokes acceleration of blood flow and heart contractions;
• raises blood pressure.

It is useful to drink coffee to prevent certain types of cancer, urolithiasis, stroke and heart attack, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and other age-related disorders. How does the drink affect the well-being of patients with diabetes?

Coffee and possible diabetes prevention

Harvard researchers conducted an experiment that followed more than 100,000 people over 20 years. They focused on a four-year period and their findings were later published in this 2014 study.

It found that people who increased their coffee consumption by more than one cup per day had an 11 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

However, people who reduced their coffee consumption by one cup per day increased their risk of developing diabetes by 17 percent. There was no difference in who drank tea.

It is not clear why coffee has such an effect on the development of diabetes. Think caffeine? In fact, caffeine increases glucose and insulin levels in the short term.

In one small study of men, decaffeinated coffee even showed a dramatic increase in blood sugar levels. Currently, there is limited research and more research needs to be done on the effects of caffeine on diabetes.

Green coffee for diabetes

Green coffee is perceived by many as an exotic product, about the properties and benefits of which very little is known. However, this is not entirely fair, and therefore it is strongly recommended that diabetics consult a specialist about the permissibility of drinking this drink.

The fact is that green coffee may well be useful for diabetes - be it the first or second type of the disease. This is explained by the presence of vitamin complexes and mineral elements in it.

The advantage of the product, which should also be considered, is that it gives the body an additional degree of vigor without caffeine, and also does not increase blood sugar. In this regard, paying attention to the possibility and features of drinking green coffee, I would like to note the following features of the process:

• You should use only a natural drink without any additional impurities, be it ginger, turmeric and others. All of them will significantly reduce the beneficial properties of the product;
• The advantage of such coffee for type 1 and type 2 diabetes should be given if it is produced in beans. Using an already ground name is much less useful;
• If any undesirable changes in your health appear, the best thing to do is stop using the product. In order to initially determine the individual reaction of the body, it is strongly recommended to start the process of consuming it with a minimum amount.

This drink is unusual and not widespread among Russian residents. But it is believed that it is even beneficial for diabetic patients.

It does not contain all the harmful substances that are formed when roasting coffee beans. And the content of beneficial chlorogenic and linoleic acids is much higher.

Therefore, green coffee helps break down fats, which prevents the formation of excess body weight. In addition, it increases the body's sensitivity to insulin, which helps patients control blood sugar levels.

It is a harmless friend of people with diabetes. This type of grain contains plant chlorogenic acid, which helps break down fatty deposits. This is important for type 2 diabetes caused by long-term obesity. Excess fat leads to the development of insulin resistance, that is, poor sensitivity of insulin to cells and tissues.

Regular consumption of green coffee will alleviate the condition of diabetics. The best type of coffee is the one made from beans that have undergone minimal heat treatment. It is green grains that are practically not fried before consumption. They have a non-standard taste, but they heal the body more than other varieties.

Caffeine, blood glucose and insulin (before and after meals)

One 2004 study found that taking a caffeine capsule before meals increased postmeal blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes. It also showed an increase in insulin resistance.

According to a recent 2021 study, genes may play a role in caffeine metabolism and its effect on blood sugar levels. In this study, people who metabolized caffeine more slowly showed higher blood sugar levels than those who genetically metabolized caffeine faster.

Drinking caffeine over a long period of time can also change its effect on glucose and insulin sensitivity. Tolerance to long-term consumption may be responsible for the protective effect.

A more recent study in 2021 found that the long-term effects of caffeine may be associated with a reduced risk of prediabetes and diabetes.

Contraindications

Since patients with type 2 diabetes often have chronic comorbidities, it is important to take this into account when choosing food and drink. Coffee can cause a deterioration in well-being in diabetics with the following pathologies:

• hypertonic disease;
• encephalopathy;
• inflammatory diseases of the digestive system (gastritis, colitis);
• sleep disorders;
• glaucoma;
• severe atherosclerosis;
• polycystic disease (as coffee can trigger the growth of cysts).

It is hardly possible to drink coffee in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and in those patients who have increased excitability and nervousness. Coffee, as a stimulant of the nervous system, in this case can aggravate these phenomena, cause headaches and make a person even more irritable. For diabetics who regularly take medications to treat the thyroid gland, it is better to avoid coffee drinks, as they can negatively affect their well-being.

If you have diabetes, you should drink coffee in moderation, keeping in mind the contraindications and restrictions. Patients do not need to deny themselves their favorite drink; they just need to remember to be careful. In small doses, coffee improves memory, stimulates brain function and improves mood, so sometimes drinking it is even beneficial.

Fasting blood glucose and insulin

Another 2004 study looked at the effects of "medium level" on people without diabetes who either drank 1 liter of regular black coffee per day or abstained from drinking it.

At the end of the four-week study, those who consumed more coffee had more insulin in their blood.

If you have type 2 diabetes, your body cannot effectively use insulin to control blood sugar levels. The “tolerance” effect observed with long-term coffee consumption takes much longer to develop than four weeks.

Diabetes and caffeine

Diabetes mellitus type 2
Doctors-researchers still cannot give a definite answer whether coffee is harmful or not for diabetes, so this pressing question still remains rhetorical. There are doctors who are firmly convinced that type 2 diabetes and coffee have a direct connection and they note a positive trend.

Moderate consumption of the drink has been known since ancient times. Linoleic acid contained in grains has a beneficial effect on the functioning of blood vessels and has a preventive effect against heart attacks and strokes.

The positive aspects include its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties; there is evidence that coffee can somewhat optimize insulin synthesis in the pancreas.

Important. When drinking coffee, sick people should not get carried away with its excessive consumption, but if you follow a certain dosage, you can somewhat reduce some of the adverse effects caused by type 2 diabetes.

Instant drink

The article and most other publications that talk about beneficial properties always mean a drink brewed from crushed grains. This type of coffee is called natural.

In the industrial production of granular or powdered semi-finished products, all beneficial properties are lost during evaporation. To give the desired aroma and taste, the products contain a significant amount of additives, flavorings and even essences. Instant coffee will not bring anything good to diabetics, so it is better not to drink it.

Brewed drink

Drink brewed in a cezve
Now let's talk about what kind of coffee you can have for diabetes. Only a natural drink brewed using the classical method or in special coffee makers can be drunk by sick people. But, as mentioned above, there is no consensus among doctors about the usefulness of the drink, and they are divided into two camps: supporters and opponents of the aromatic drink.

The latter are sure that coffee increases glucose. For example, there are studies recording an 8% increase in sugar levels in people who drink it regularly. In this case, there is a difficulty in the flow of glucose into tissue structures and individual cells, which negatively affects trophic indicators.

However, their opponents prove the opposite and are confident in the positive effect of the aromatic drink on the body of diabetics. They see the main advantage in increasing the sensitivity of cells to insulin produced by the pancreas, which can significantly facilitate control of blood sugar. However, a similar effect is not observed if you drink coffee with type 1 diabetes.

In people with the second type, the hormone produced does not affect muscle and fat tissue, they remain insensitive to it. Thus, sugar coming from food is not completely absorbed.

This metabolic feature leads to the fact that some of the unabsorbed glucose begins to accumulate in the blood. Nutritionists note the positive aspects of coffee for patients with diabetes if a person drinks exactly two cups a day.

In this case, the following phenomena are observed:

• the development of the disease slows down somewhat;
• blood sugar concentration stabilizes;
• the overall tone of the body increases;
• lipid breakdown accelerates;
• the body receives additional energy, albeit on a small scale.

It is very important to remember that coffee for type 2 diabetes mellitus may not be so dangerous for this disease as it will negatively affect other ailments. People with type 2 diabetes are usually over 40, and they are often overweight, so their cardiovascular health leaves much to be desired.

In this case, you should enjoy your favorite aroma with extreme caution, since arrhythmia may develop and problems with blood pressure may arise. Thus, before you understand whether type 2 diabetics can drink coffee or not, you should definitely be examined not only by an endocrinologist, but also by a cardiologist.

Please note that in people with insulin-dependent diabetes, drinking coffee reduces the number of nighttime glycemia.

Other beneficial properties of coffee

There are other health benefits of drinking coffee that are not related to diabetes prevention.

New studies that controlled for risk factors have shown other benefits of coffee. These include potential protection against:

• Parkinson's disease;
• liver diseases, including liver cancer;
• gout;
• Alzheimer's disease;
• gallstones.

These new studies also show that coffee reduces the risk of depression and improves the ability to focus and think clearly.

Coffee and Alzheimer's disease

Parkinson's disease is a fatal and incurable brain disease that affects 1 to 2 percent of people over 65. Surprisingly, at least some studies have shown that people who regularly drank coffee were up to 80% less likely to develop Parkinson's disease.

Researchers have identified a gene called GRIN2A that appeared to protect people who drank coffee from Parkinson's disease. GRIN2A is associated with glutamate, a compound suspected of killing brain cells that die in Parkinson's patients. Glutamate can be dependent on another compound called adenosine, and coffee interferes with this process.

However, only 25% of the population has the gene variant GRIN2A, which increases the protective effect of coffee. Conclusion: Coffee may reduce the risk of Parkinson's, but only in a small proportion of people.

Here, a study shows that people who drink about three cups of coffee per day show a noticeable reduction in cognitive impairment compared to those who do not drink coffee.

This protection was not seen with decaffeinated tea or coffee, so the benefit only came from the combination of caffeine and certain bioactive compounds in coffee.

In fact, a new study from the University of South Florida found that this combination increases blood levels of a critical growth factor called G-CSF (granulocyte colony-stimulating factor), which appears to prevent the formation of Alzheimer's disease. Increasing GCSF in mice improves their memory.

Preventing diabetes

Coffee may be more popular than ever, but drinking it regularly isn't the best way to manage diabetes - even if (believe it or not) there is growing evidence that it can help prevent diabetes.

Creamy, sugary drinks found in coffee shop chains often contain unhealthy carbohydrates. They are also very high in calories.

The effects of sugar and fat in many coffee and espresso drinks may outweigh the benefits of any protective effects of coffee.

The same can be said for sweetened and even artificially sweetened coffee and other drinks. Adding sweetener increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Consuming too many added sugars is directly linked to diabetes and obesity.

Regular consumption of coffee drinks that are high in saturated fat or sugar may increase insulin resistance. This may ultimately contribute to type 2 diabetes.

Most major coffee chains offer drink options that are lower in carbs and fat. Skinny coffee drinks allow you to wake up in the morning or afternoon without a sugar rush.

The role of caffeine in diabetes

Some doctors say that coffee and type 2 diabetes are closely related. They recommend using this drink as a therapeutic agent. The beneficial qualities of natural coffee are known to many. Coffee beans contain linoleic acid: its intake into the body helps prevent heart attacks and strokes.

Drinking coffee also helps slow down the development of inflammatory processes in the body. There is an opinion that coffee affects insulin.

But you can’t get too carried away with this drink. With proper consumption of coffee, you can minimize various complications caused by type II diabetes.

Risks of drinking coffee

Even for healthy people, the caffeine in coffee can have some side effects. Common side effects of caffeine include:

• headache;
• restlessness;
• anxiety.

As with everything else, moderation is the key to coffee consumption. However, even with moderate consumption, coffee has risks that you should discuss with your doctor.

These risks include:

• increased cholesterol levels in unfiltered or espresso coffee;
• increased risk of heartburn;
• increased blood glucose levels after meals.

Important Notes:

Teens should consume at least 100 milligrams (mg) of caffeine every day. This includes all caffeinated drinks, not just coffee. Young children should avoid caffeinated drinks. Adding too much sweetener or cream may increase your risk of diabetes and excess weight.

Can a diabetic have instant coffee?

It is worth noting that the instant drink is produced using a chemical method. And of course, with such preparation, almost all useful substances are lost, the real aroma and its taste are dulled. But many manufacturers use a trick and, in order to enhance the aroma and taste of the drink, add various flavorings to it.

It is important to remember that instant coffee has absolutely no benefits, either for a diabetic or for a healthy person.

By the way, many scientists argue that it is better to completely abandon the instant drink, since it does not bring any benefit, but is harmful to the body.

How many cups of coffee can you drink per day if you have type 2 diabetes?

It depends on the person, as there is no universal recommendation. However, in general, drinking unsweetened coffee in moderation is good for people with type 2 diabetes. The typical recommendation is not to consume more than 400 milligrams of caffeine per day. This is about 4 cups of coffee.

If it is affecting your mood, sleep, blood sugar and energy, you may be advised to limit your intake. The most important thing when choosing coffee for people with diabetes or those managing their weight is to pay attention to the carbohydrate content of the milk and added sweeteners. It is recommended to reduce or eliminate artificial sweeteners as they destroy gut bacteria, cause appetite and overeating, and negatively affect weight and blood sugar levels.

Traditional lattes, cappuccinos and flat whites contain milk and may have added sweeteners. Caffeinated drinks that do not contain carbohydrates include Americano, espresso, filter coffee and all types of alternative brewed black coffee.

Instead of using any additives in your coffee, choose honey as a sweetener and add unsweetened milk instead of buttercream. This will reduce your saturated fat and carbohydrate intake while maintaining flavor. Stick to 1 tablespoon of honey or less, which contains 15 grams of carbohydrates. Traditional coffee drinks can contain up to 75 grams of carbohydrates from added sugar, so this significantly reduces your sugar intake.

Benefits and harms

It is known that if you drink coffee often it will not bring anything good, but what effect does the drink have on the body when people drink no more than two cups a day?

In most cases, doctors find more positive aspects than negative ones, for example, caffeine invigorates and stimulates brain activity, and neutralizes the damage caused by free radicals. Pay attention to the table below, which shows the positive and negative aspects of the drink’s effect on the body when consumed in moderation.

Benefits and harms of coffee:

Important. If you drink 5 cups of strong brewed coffee a day, a person will develop chronic fatigue syndrome.

Doctors note a connection between the intake of caffeine in the body and the production of insulin, but exactly how the interaction occurs is not yet reliably clear. However, a number of Western European scientists have conducted research and published results showing a positive trend.

Drinking two cups or more of medium-brew coffee per day reduces your risk of developing diabetes. To understand the scientific weight of the study, it should be emphasized that more than 88 thousand women of different ages and social strata took part in the experiment.

Advantages and disadvantages of coffee

One cup daily.

1. Benefits: Dilates blood vessels. Coffee is known as an excellent antioxidant that stimulates brain activity.
2. Disadvantages: Disrupts sleep at night because the body takes 8 hours to process caffeine. The drink also increases gastric secretion of hydrochloric acid, which can cause discomfort or heartburn.

Two cups daily.

1. Benefits: Prevention of Alzheimer's disease. Caffeine helps reduce the size of amyloid plaques that appear on nerve cells and cause neuronal death. Consuming two cups of coffee half an hour before physical activity will provide the body with more energy, which will help you successfully complete your workout.
2. Disadvantages: Women who drink two cups of coffee while pregnant may experience spontaneous abortion. Caffeine affects the production of adrenaline and the hormone cortisol, which are closely linked to the occurrence of this unwanted condition.

Three cups of coffee . 1. Benefits: prevention of ovarian cancer in women. Prevention of gallstones.

2. Disadvantages: Increases the chances of a heart attack.

Four or more cups of coffee.

1. Benefits: Prevention of various types of cancer and type 2 diabetes.
   A study published in 2006 looked at the health of 88,000 women. Those who drank two or more cups of coffee daily were less likely to develop diabetes than those who drank only one cup of coffee or no coffee at all. It didn't matter whether it was decaffeinated or decaffeinated.
2. It is not yet clear why coffee has such an effect on the development of diabetes. It is unlikely that caffeine is responsible, since in the short term it increases blood glucose and insulin levels.
3. Disadvantages: Consuming 400 mg of caffeine (the amount found in 4 cups of coffee) may contribute to rheumatoid arthritis and feelings of nervousness and anxiety. Due to the influence of caffeine, the body is in a constant state of artificially induced hyperactivity, which causes chronic fatigue.

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Can you drink coffee if you have type 2 diabetes?

This form of the disease is characterized by the fact that insulin is produced, but is not utilized or is released in insufficient quantities.
At the initial stage of type 2 diabetes, proper nutrition will help by adding foods to the diet that promote withdrawal or provoke additional production of pancreatic hormone. The drink reduces the likelihood of developing the disease, but is it possible to drink coffee if you have type 2 diabetes? It depends on the characteristics of the pathology, although there is no urgent need to completely abandon it. Caffeine stimulates the pancreas, increases insulin production and sensitivity to it when hormone production is disrupted. But for those who do not have this pathology, the substance reduces sensitivity to insulin.

The chlorogenic acid contained reduces the absorption of glucose by the upper part of the small intestine or transfers the process to more distant areas. The antioxidant effect of the substance has a cardioprotective effect.

On a note! It is important to take into account in diabetes mellitus the presence of magnesium sulfate, which can increase insulin production and sensitivity to it.

Coffee with additives: which ones you can have for diabetes and which ones you can’t

Cream and sugar added to coffee add carbohydrates and calories. The effects of sugar and fat on instant and ground coffee may outweigh the benefits of any protective effects of the beverage.

• Drinking coffee, which is high in saturated fat and carbohydrates, on a regular basis can increase insulin resistance and ultimately contribute to persistently elevated glucose levels.
• Therefore, people suffering from diabetes should drink coffee without sugar or fat-containing foods. Sweeteners can be used instead.
• Coffee with low-fat milk won't hurt if you have diabetes.
• Combining coffee and alcohol in the case of type 1 diabetes is undesirable. Alcohol can cause hypoglycemia. For type 2 diabetes, it is permissible to consume up to 150 ml of light varieties of dry wine.
• To avoid heartburn, it is advisable to drink coffee an hour after eating.

Drinking coffee can prevent diabetes, but does not guarantee a 100% result. Various studies have shown that coffee can negatively affect people who already have diabetes.

It is advisable for them to gradually switch to decaffeinated coffee to avoid withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, lack of energy and low blood pressure.

Sugar and oily foods, when combined with coffee, can negatively affect glucose tolerance and increase insulin and blood sugar after meals. They should be avoided.

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