Does drinking black coffee affect your BG?

Does drinking black coffee seem to affect your BG level?

  • Yes. It seems to lower my BG

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Yes. It seems to raise my BG

    Votes: 4 12.5%
  • No. It doesn't seem to affect my BG

    Votes: 22 68.8%
  • I didn't pay any attention

    Votes: 6 18.8%

  • Total voters
    32

Confucius

Member
Messages
24
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
I used to drink black instant coffee (1-2 cups/day) before I had symptoms. Now I only drink water. But when I researched online, I found there are contradicting reports/studies as regards whether coffee is good or bad for diabetes.

As of now, there doesn't seem to be a definitive conclusion. So I think maybe it is useful for us all to have a poll here to see if drinking black coffee is really linked to better or worse BG.

Of course, this poll won't be really scientific. Let's just share our experience and hopefully make ourselves better understand coffee drinking and blood sugar levels.

Thank you.

Some related links:

http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/27/12/2990
https://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/blog/the-mystery-of-coffee-and-diabetes/
http://www.healthline.com/diabetesmine/great-coffee-experiment-and-blood-sugar-effect#5
https://authoritynutrition.com/coffee-blood-sugar-and-diabetes/
 

Brunneria

Guru
Retired Moderator
Messages
21,889
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I think the reason there are so many conflicting reports and ideas on the subject is because coffee seems to affect people differently, so you get multiple different experiences.

Really all we can do is test it ourselves (several times) and see how it works for us.

If you have a forum search on coffee, you will see some pretty lively debates on the subject! :D

(I haven't taken part in your poll, because while I know that coffee only raised my bg a tiny amount, I only found out because I was using the Freestyle Libre and could see the minute rise on the graph. The rise wouldn't have ever shown up on prick tests. I have since stopped drinking coffee for other reasons :) )
 
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Sid Bonkers

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,976
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Customer helplines that use recorded menus that promise to put me through to the right person but never do - and being ill. Oh, and did I mention customer helplines :)
I think the reason there are so many conflicting reports and ideas on the subject is because coffee seems to affect people differently, so you get multiple different experiences.

Id go further and say that every food and drink effects individuals differently which is why it is so important to test and work out exactly what "you" can and cant eat and drink, what one person can happily eat or drink spikes another person.

As for me I used to drink a lot of strong black espresso maybe 5 or 6 cups/mugs a day and now I only drink it occasionally and have noticed no difference in my bg levels what so ever. I stopped not because of diabetes but due to high blood pressure which I keep down with meds and was attempting to lower it naturally and reduce my meds, it didnt work...

...Interestingly what I think I have discovered is that my body seems to have adjusted itself automatically to allow for the lack of caffeine in my diet and my bp is the same even though I rarely now drink coffee or tea, its as though my body likes to run a bit high for some reason, I have no idea why, even my GP said that it may just be the way my metabolism works.
 

Brunneria

Guru
Retired Moderator
Messages
21,889
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Id go further and say that every food and drink effects individuals differently which is why it is so important to test and work out exactly what "you" can and cant eat and drink, what one person can happily eat or drink spikes another person.

As for me I used to drink a lot of strong black espresso maybe 5 or 6 cups/mugs a day and now I only drink it occasionally and have noticed no difference in my bg levels what so ever. I stopped not because of diabetes but due to high blood pressure which I keep down with meds and was attempting to lower it naturally and reduce my meds, it didnt work...

...Interestingly what I think I have discovered is that my body seems to have adjusted itself automatically to allow for the lack of caffeine in my diet and my bp is the same even though I rarely now drink coffee or tea, its as though my body likes to run a bit high for some reason, I have no idea why, even my GP said that it may just be the way my metabolism works.

Ironically, it was raised bp that made me give up coffee altogether. Within 4 days of stopping drinking it, my bp had dropped to 'excellent' and has stayed there since.

So yes, absolutely, we are all very unique in our reactions to all sorts of foods, drinks, drugs and environmental factors. :)
 

Freema

Expert
Messages
7,346
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I think coffee affect me in the way that if I get too much coffein I sleep very lousy or hardly sleep at all, and then my levels of glucose is raised somewhat in the morning compared to my usual dawn phenomenon
 

JohnEGreen

Master
Messages
13,172
Type of diabetes
Other
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Tripe and Onions
I don't drink black coffee so could not offer an opinion either way.
 

Gadget_man

Well-Known Member
Messages
73
Type of diabetes
Prefer not to say
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
Why just black coffee? White coffee is the same basic constituent parts, coffee, water and the addition of milk. The milk contains no caffeine, so presumably what you and the study are saying it's the caffeine that works on the BG.

I've cut down dramatically on coffee and drink tea instead, which although black tea leaves gave more caffeine in them than coffee before brewed it is diluted more when made. But the that leads to caffeine in fizzy drinks. Although I only drink sugar free fizzy drinks, what's their caffeine content and how much do we all drink of those?

A complex can of worms.
 

Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I only drink black coffee in cafes, and then it's decaffeinated. I stopped drinking proper coffee many years ago as it gave me headaches. I drink decaf with double cream at home. So I can't contribute to your poll.

However, I also drink tea with a dash of milk, and that does raise my levels a tad. Just a small bump on my Libre sensor log, but that is most likely the milk rather than the tea.
 

Thyroiddiabetic

Well-Known Member
Messages
134
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Just want to add this.
You see her in lies the problem if you diabetic it's amplified.

NaturalNews) Conventional wisdom about weight loss suggests coffee may be a good addition to a diet plan since it has minimal calories and no fat. While this seems logical, a more holistic view evaluates coffee from the perspective of its influence on the body's ability to metabolize the other food we eat. Recent studies suggest that despite its low calorie count, coffee may actually promote weight gain as well as type 2 diabetes by stimulating cortisol production and insulin resistance.

Caffeine stimulates cortisol production

One of the roles of cortisol, known as the stress hormone, is to help facilitate the fight or flight mechanism designed to save us from physical threat. When the body is stressed, cortisol's job is to up blood pressure and speed carbohydrate and fat metabolism, increasing the amount of blood sugar in the system to feed muscles and cells so they can function more effectively when stressed. Cortisol also promotes the release of insulin necessary to facilitate movement of glucose into the cells.

This cortisol-induced demand for blood sugar causes us to feel hungry, encouraging us to eat more despite our best intentions. Of course this situation is exacerbated if we drink more coffee when we are also under stress. If our response to the increased cortisol were physical, like running away from a perceived threat or choosing instead to fight, we might burn off the extra fuel. However, in today's world since most stress is mental or emotional and rarely due to actual physical threat, weight gain is a likely result. In addition, faced with consistently elevated insulin levels, our cells will tend to become resistant to its effect making them less able to utilize our now elevated levels of blood sugar. This insulin resistance condition is often followed by a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

Regular coffee drinking may increase tolerance to cortisol response

While caffeine prompts cortisol production, a 2005 study published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine found that regular coffee drinking increases our tolerance, blunting this effect somewhat. Subjects in this study who were given caffeine after a five-day fast showed cortisol spikes in the morning; an effect which diminished after several days of regular exposure. However, researchers also found that when subjects were exposed to caffeine continuously throughout the day, cortisol levels began to rise again in the afternoon. Further results also showed that study participants prone to high blood pressure reacted more strongly to the caffeine than did others and produced more cortisol.

This means for people who sip coffee throughout the day, there is a good chance their body will respond by eventually producing more cortisol encouraging weight gain and/or the development of type 2 diabetes, especially those who are hypertensive. On the other hand, for those who limit their intake of coffee to one or two cups first thing in the morning their cortisol response may be less serious.

Cortisol promotes fat storage

According to Shawn Talbott, PhD, author of The Cortisol Connection, another one of cortisol's roles is to encourage our bodies to store fat; a process that is helped along by higher levels of insulin. Unfortunately, this particular fat often gets located in the abdominal area causing a condition that may be associated not only with diabetes but also with heart disease, high cholesterol and hypertension.

For all of these reasons, in spite of its minimal calories, drinking coffee may not be a good decision for anyone who's goal is to lose weight.

Sources for this article include:

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/034674_coffee_cortisol_weight_gain.html#ixzz4XBU7JrZx
 

JohnEGreen

Master
Messages
13,172
Type of diabetes
Other
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Tripe and Onions
Well as I take prednisolone daily the odd cup of coffee is not going to make much difference to my cortisol levels as I no longer produce much if any my self. And though a habitual coffee drinker I have still lost eight stone in the last year or so.
 

Robkww

Well-Known Member
Messages
262
Since T2 diagnosis coffee has become my substitute for various less healthy drinking and eating habits and has not caused a problem in relation to either weight or BS levels - however, we are, as they say, all different .... and thank God for that.
 

Sid Bonkers

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,976
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Customer helplines that use recorded menus that promise to put me through to the right person but never do - and being ill. Oh, and did I mention customer helplines :)
Oh the power of advertising, read half the page and then had to go and turn on the coffee making machine ;)
 
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Hotpepper20000

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,065
I drink more coffee now then before I was diagnosed and have still managed to bring my weight and BG down
I have two extra strong coffees in the morning and a espresso mid afternoon.
I think I'd have to be pretty sick before I quit.

I used to drink black instant coffee (1-2 cups/day) before I had symptoms. Now I only drink water. But when I researched online, I found there are contradicting reports/studies as regards whether coffee is good or bad for diabetes.

As of now, there doesn't seem to be a definitive conclusion. So I think maybe it is useful for us all to have a poll here to see if drinking black coffee is really linked to better or worse BG.

Of course, this poll won't be really scientific. Let's just share our experience and hopefully make ourselves better understand coffee drinking and blood sugar levels.

Thank you.

Some related links:

http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/27/12/2990
https://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/blog/the-mystery-of-coffee-and-diabetes/
http://www.healthline.com/diabetesmine/great-coffee-experiment-and-blood-sugar-effect#5
https://authoritynutrition.com/coffee-blood-sugar-and-diabetes/
I
 

logindetails

Well-Known Member
Messages
297
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Neuropathy :-(
I drink gallons of the stuff and it has zero impact on my BG levels.
 

davej1950

Member
Messages
22
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
When I worked in an NHS pathology lab and we took blood for a fasting glucose level we always interrogated the patient about fasting. We used to get answers like, "well I've only had a glass of orange juice" "I did have a couple of slices of toast" and "I've had a cup of coffee". The biochemists were adamant that coffee affected blood sugar levels and we had to tell the patient to go away and fast properly. The long post above from Thyroiddiabetic was exactly the reason, caffeine stimulates cortisol and cortisol affects blood sugar.
 
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Tophat1900

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,407
Type of diabetes
Type 3c
Treatment type
Other
Dislikes
Uncooked bacon
Love my black coffee.... a cup in the morning with breakfast. Interestingly enough, I often end up with a lower BG level at lunch, then the fasting. May have one more and that's it for the day. I don't drink it after lunch or anything with caffeine. Sleep so much better since eliminating caffeine after lunch.
 

sd29

Well-Known Member
Messages
48
I'm sensitive to caffeine, and had to make the switch to decaf tea and coffee which has helped to stabilise more. Black coffee or any caffeinated drinks can have pitfalls, and can have an effect depending on your sensitivity. Caffeine speeds up processes such as digestion, and too much can irritate the bladder as it is a known diuerectic. All of these factors, not to mention the biochemical reactions may well affect you. I've always found the best advice on avoiding/consuming certain foods and drinks is 'think like a pancreas - don't overload!' Which is really rather annoying, as pre-diabetes, I pretty much lived on double espressos!
 

Robkww

Well-Known Member
Messages
262
When I worked in an NHS pathology lab and we took blood for a fasting glucose level we always interrogated the patient about fasting. We used to get answers like, "well I've only had a glass of orange juice" "I did have a couple of slices of toast" and "I've had a cup of coffee". The biochemists were adamant that coffee affected blood sugar levels and we had to tell the patient to go away and fast properly. The long post above from Thyroiddiabetic was exactly the reason, caffeine stimulates cortisol and cortisol affects blood sugar.

Agreed, for fasting BS test take absolutely nothing but water, however, within a normal daily routine any effect on my BS is not really noticeable - keep taking the medicine as they say!

As @Tophat1900 states could be beneficial on sleep patterns to limit or avoid later in the day and may try to control myself a bit more in that direction - no promises though!
 

Interaud

Well-Known Member
Messages
58
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Cruelty, dishonesty, spiders
I also drink lots black coffee, liquorice and oriental herb tea, green tea- slight dropping glucose effects after about an hour if I don't eat, otherwise, no change.