Is It Safe For Diabetics To Drink Coffee?

Coffee is packed with a lot of health-enriching nutrients and can provide a lot of health benefits. Many of us begin our day with a cup of coffee since it helps in providing an instant boost of energy. It is also believed that coffee can help in reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. However, is it safe for diabetics to drink coffee? Let us take a look at this matter in the following sections.

Before we come to the topic if it is safe for diabetics to drink coffee, let us know about the active ingredients found in coffee:

Many types of antioxidants and chemicals found in coffee can positively affect your body and fight against inflammation and also neutralizes free radicals that can result in diseases and aging. This has been found in various studies.⁽¹⁾ It is believed that antioxidants can prevent the onset of various diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cancers, and heart diseases.

Caffeine is the most important component found in coffee and it is a natural stimulant too. Though it is essential for our body, caffeine might be a negative ingredient for patients with diabetes, since it increases blood pressure and also drastically affects insulin sensitivity (or how well our body responds to insulin).

Coffee is also loaded with minerals like magnesium, potassium and Vitamins like Vitamin B2 or riboflavin and, vitamin B3 or niacin.

Now, let us come to our point of concern, i.e. if it is safe for diabetics to drink coffee. The ample amount of potential health-enriching nutrients found in coffee is known to improve alertness, enhance energy levels, and also manage body weight naturally.

Several studies have reported that drinking coffee can reduce the chances of developing type 2 diabetes.⁽²⁾ As per research, it has been found that drinking three to four cups of coffee every day could help in reducing one’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes.⁽³⁾

Antioxidants present in coffee keep the heart healthy. There are chances that diabetics can develop heart diseases and heart stroke at any point in time. So, consuming foods that are packed with antioxidants might help in reducing the risk of developing heart issues in diabetic patients. Moreover, coffee also has minerals like chromium and magnesium in it. It is also known that increasing the intake of magnesium is linked to reduced rates of type 2 diabetes.

Another large study conducted in 2013 showed that individuals who increased their coffee consumption by more than one cup daily over four years had an 11% reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes than people who made no such changes to their coffee consumption.⁽⁴⁾ The same study also concluded that individuals who reduced their coffee intake by more than one cup daily had a 17% higher chance of growing type 2 diabetes.

So, this accumulated evidence suggests that coffee consumption might protect people against this condition.

Though diabetics might be benefitted from drinking coffee, there are certain components present in coffee that might increase blood sugar and impair insulin sensitivity. Plain coffee directly does not seem to increase blood sugar or blood glucose levels.

But, certain research has suggested that the caffeine content found in coffee could impair insulin sensitivity and might be not ideal for people with diabetes.⁽⁵⁾ This is also said that other compounds like magnesium, chromium, and antioxidants (polyphenols) found in coffee might play a crucial role in improving insulin sensitivity, which might counteract the effects of caffeine.

That’s the reason why some experts suggest that diabetics must drink decaffeinated coffee for receiving the finest benefits of antioxidants and other minerals without affecting insulin sensitivity.

Caffeine in general helps in various ways. It has been mentioned by the FDA that in the general population, 400 mg of caffeine( 4-5 cups) per day has no negative impact on health in general.⁽⁶⁾

However, as research on diabetic patients has mixed results, so it is always better to consult with your doctor before consuming coffee and know about the appropriate amount of coffee that would be safe for you.

It has been suggested by some experts that decaffeinated coffee is the safest option for diabetics as it offers the benefits of various components like antioxidants without causing any potential risk of caffeine.⁽⁷⁾

It should also be noted that adding sugar or cream to coffee might increase the levels of blood sugar. So, diabetic patients might be benefited from choosing to drink coffee without added sugar. So, most diabetics use artificial sweeteners.

But again, research has suggested that some of these artificial sweeteners, especially sucralose, might affect the levels of blood sugar negatively.⁽⁸⁾

Thus, if you are someone suffering from diabetes, it is safe to drink black decaffeinated coffee without added sugar.

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