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Coffee and Spikes in Blood Glucose?

J

JohnH2019

Well-Known Member
Messages
76
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Have any of you had issues with coffee causing large spikes in blood glucose that last a while? Is there anything you have been able to do and still enjoy coffee? I have tried with and without heavy raw cream, and only doing exercise seems to bring it down as I am not on Metformin or insulin at this time.

I read that a BG spike is possible because of these reasons:
  • Caffeine raises levels of certain stress hormones, like epinephrine (also called adrenaline). Epinephrine can prevent your cells from processing as much sugar. It may also keep your body from making as much insulin.
  • It blocks a protein called adenosine. This molecule plays a big role in how much insulin your body makes. It also controls how your cells respond to it. Caffeine keeps adenosine from doing its job. It can’t clear sugar from your blood as quickly.
  • It takes a toll on your sleep. Too much caffeine can keep you awake. Lack of sleep may also lower your insulin sensitivity
It came from here: https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/diabetes-and-caffeine#1
 
Well I don't doubt what you have linked.... However! From experience I love coffe so much that I don't take any notice of the science stuff.
I always have double cream! Never milk. I always buy good coffee. Some instants are are good, often better than fresh gound and less faff.
Decaffinated might be the way to go for you if you, if like me you want to keep drinking it.

It is the caffine that will cause most people problems. I do not find it an issue. Beware some sweetners will cause mayhem!
I have found that ''Erythritol' works well in coffee, they do a brown and white.
I also use it in cooking. I just made a custard tart to go with my morning cuppa... and my afternoon cuppa... err.
and my evening cuppa.

When I go out I buy black coffee and add my own double cream and sweetner.
I carry two small containers that I top up.

I am sure others will be along to join us soon with their take on coffee (or not)
Po
 
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I drink black coffee with no sugars / sweeteners in it and have no problems with my bgl.
 
Coffee is my only vice. Thankfully it doesn’t affect my glucose levels at all. Not measurably at least.
 
I love coffee with watered down doublecream frothed up lightly to make a flat white. I too find it dosent affect my bgs thankfully as it’s one of life’s pleasures especially with a couple of squares of 100% cocoa chocolate! I do drink decaf coffee after lunchtime worth experimenting maybe with a good quality decaf taking your bgs and checking. Good luck.
 
I don't have any reaction in blood sugar levels from coffee with double cream.
How much cream are you putting in yours?
I have 2 teaspoons per large mug.
If you are having lots of cream the carb value may be causing you problems.
 
I don't notice any unusual spike in my bgl after a cup of coffee taken twice daily spiced with cocoa powder and creamer.
 
Double cream is a curiosity to me. I can quite literally drink it with no measurable glucose footprint. This was even true when I was heavily insulin resistant. In fact I would sometimes drink half a glass in the morning to kill dawn phenomenon dead. Lucky me
 
Thanks for all your replies. I never used to have an issue and 4-5 espresso/cups per day was fine. I sleep fine even with an evening one. The cream is a single ingredient organic grass fed, raw, heavy cream (7 gram fat, 1 gram carb, 0 gram protein per tablespoon). Never use sugar or any sweetener in the coffee and always full octane. Perhaps I need to try with decaf (gasp) instead, but exposure to methylene chloride or ethyl acetate used in the process does not sound fun.

I was using about a tablespoon of cream (whipped) and drink coffee just after a meal. Just noticed that BG would spike considerably and stay high until I worked it off with weights. I will also experiment more with the cream as that was a relatively recent addition to get some extra calories in me.
 

Your experience with the dawn effect is intriguing as I struggle with that too. I will just go for a walk or bike and wait to eat breakfast until much later. Walking seems to paradoxically increase the BG more. How quickly after waking up would you take it? How much? With coffee? How quickly do you notice the BG comes down?

Thank you.
 

To be honest this was ages ago and I no longer experience dawn phenomenon. I used to glug down half a glass, neat, pretty much straight out of bed. It would stop my glucose rising almost immediately. That is to say before the next test in a couple of hours. Essentially I was treating the cream as a high calorie, low carb breakfast.
 
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