Caffeine And Diabetes

Caffeine And Diabetes

By:


Milk or cream? Sugar or sweetener? If you're a coffee or tea lover, you've always been faced with choices. Researchers now believe that caffeine may play a role in the development of diabetes, presenting your most important decision yet: to choose a traditional or decaf blend.

Medical experts believe that caffeine poses a higher risk for contracting diabetes, and increases the dangers for those who already have the disease. There are substances in coffee, for example, that can have negative effects on the body's metabolism, presenting health dangers to diabetics and non-diabetics alike. On the other hand, researchers in Japan claim that people who drink caffeine may be reducing their risk of developing diabetes. A study conducted on participants who took caffeine in the form of oolong, black or green teas showed that drinking at lease three cups or more every day could reduce their risk of developing diabetes by 33 percent. Despite these findings, modern medical research suggests that it's still better to avoid caffeine if you want to reduce your risk or developing diabetes or control an existing condition.

Most modern research shows that avoiding caffeine is still advisable for those wanting to reduce the risk of diabetes. Researchers from a well-known university medical center found that drinking caffeine with meals caused an increase in glucose levels and insulin among people suffering Type 2 diabetes. Insulin is a component required for cells to convert glucose into energy. When a person with diabetes drinks caffeine with a meal, the caffeine can hinder the ability to metabolize the meals that are eaten. Fasting subjects who took part in this research saw no significant change in their glucose or insulin levels.

Keeping blood glucose levels down in the goal of all diabetics. Smart lifestyle choices, like a healthy diet combined with exercise, are important to controlling these glucose levels. As a result of the recent medical research, it may also be necessary to eliminate caffeine from your diet.

Caffeine has a direct negative effect on insulin levels. As you know, diabetes is the inability to control sugar levels in the blood. In some cases, the body doesn't produce enough insulin. In other cases, the body produces a hormone that resists insulin.

A chemical called alloxan is a known cause of diabetes. This theory was proven in lab tests where mice fed with alloxan developed diabetes. Alloxan is a free radical generator that not only poisons our insulin-creating cells, but can also cause aging and disease. Alloxan causes damage to the pancreas, including pancreatic cancer. Caffeine causes the natural creation of alloxan in the body, therefore increasing the chance of developing diabetes, or making an existing condition worse.

Even though the consumption of caffeine can contribute to many health concerns and diseases, people around the world continue to thrive on it. Caffeine is present in tea, coffee, soft drinks, chocolate and many diet and energy supplements. People who drink several cups of coffee, tea or soft drinks on a daily basis are taking in massive doses of harmful alloxan. Even decaffeinated beverages contain some caffeine and, therefore, certain levels of alloxan. Everyone should limit their caffeine intakes, particularly those at risk of, or suffering from, diabetes.

Despite the proven health dangers of caffeine, people around the world continue to devour it. A morning coffee or afternoon tea are popular ways to get a caffeine rush. Unfortunately, younger people are now becoming drawn to beverages with dangerously high levels of caffeine. The soft drink industry is marketing these so called "power drinks" to a younger demographic -- even children. Young adults 15-21 years of age are supporting the drink pushers by buying products that have abnormally high levels of caffeine. Some juices and bottled waters have caffeine added to them and even well known tea manufacturers have begun promoting highly-caffeinated teas.

If you are interested in preventing the onset of diabetes, consider lowering your caffeine intake. If you already suffer with the disease, speak with your doctor about the correlation between caffeine and diabetes. For your good health, take steps to reduce caffeine. For optimal health, eliminate it from your diet altogether.

About the Author:
Phillip Blunzon contributes articles to several well-known online magazines, on health news and heart health subjects.
Don't reprint this article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

|

Loading...
Related....
Videos...

Recent Diabetes Articles

Comments

Still can't find what you are looking for? Search for it!

Loading

Site Navigation:

Copyright 2005-2011 ArticleSnatch, LLC - All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy | Terms of Service.