Q: Is it safe for people with diabetes to drink coffee?
A:
Many studies have linked moderate coffee drinking with a
lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. A large review published in the
Journal of the American Medical Association found that people who drank four to
six cups of coffee per day were 28 percent less likely to develop diabetes than
individuals who drank zero to two cups. Caffeinated or decaffeinated, filtered
or instant, all types seem to be protective.
However, for people who already have diabetes, the picture
gets a bit cloudier. That’s because some studies show that the caffeine in
coffee reduces insulin sensitivity, which means insulin and blood sugar levels
may in fact increase. If you have diabetes and you’re having a tough time
keeping your blood sugar down, I recommend switching to decaf for a week or two
to see if your blood sugar readings improve. If they do, decaf is clearly the
way to go.