As a diabetic and a caffeine freak this makes me very unhappy
Study: Caffeine Interferes with Diabetes Control
Mon Jul 26, 2004 07:55 AM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Caffeine could interfere with the body's ability to handle blood sugar, thus worsening type 2 diabetes, U.S. researchers said on Monday.
The team at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina found a strong correlation between caffeine intake at mealtime and increased glucose and insulin levels among people with type 2 diabetes.
The American Diabetes Association says that at least 90 percent of the 17 million Americans diagnosed with diabetes have type 2, in which the body either does not produce enough insulin or cells ignore the insulin, which the body needs to convert food into energy.
The findings are significant enough that the researchers recommend people with diabetes consider reducing or eliminating caffeine from their diets.
"In a healthy person, glucose is metabolized within an hour or so after eating. Diabetics, however, do not metabolize glucose as efficiently," said James Lane, a psychiatry professor who led the study.
"It appears that diabetics who consume caffeine are likely having a harder time regulating their insulin and glucose levels than those who don't take caffeine."
