Coffee:

My research has led to an abundance of articles on the pro and con effects of drinking coffee. For some people it may be a good idea to limit coffee drinking to a cup or two a day. For others they may do better drinking up to ten cups a day. However, caffiene in coffee seems to be a problem for people with diabetes. The following information will help determine which amount will be of benefit to you.

Caffeine Causes A Rise In Blood Sugar

Coffee not only causes a rise in blood sugar by reason of the added sugar, but also because they contain caffeine or related chemical compounds that stimulate the adrenal-sympathetic system and thus cause a rise in blood sugar at the expense of liver glycogen. People who drink too much coffee and who have poor appetites are in a chronic state of malnutrition because they are steadily depleting the liver glycogen stores and are failing to replenish the stores with proper food.

Many healthy people have symptoms of low blood sugar without realizing that the symptoms are due to low blood sugar. For example, many individuals experience a physical let-down in their daily activities around 11 A.M. and 4 P.M. At those hours they get a little tired, may have a slight headache or a sensation of lightheadedness, become a little moody or depressed or irritable, and usually are hungry, especially for something sweet to serve as a "pick-up." And so they will usually partake of a cup of coffee. This beverage affords a rapid relief from their symptoms because it causes a rapid rise in blood sugar level.

Drinking Coffee And Smoking

This rise and fall in blood sugar may occur several times during the waking hours and, as a result, many individuals acquire the habit of drinking 4 to 10 cups of coffee daily, or find it necessary to smoke at frequent intervals. The desire for a cigarette actually coincides with a fall in blood sugar and the feeling of satisfaction that comes with a smoke is due to a rise in blood sugar. De-nicotinized cigarettes do not satisfy because they do not cause a rise in blood sugar.

De-Caffeinated Coffee Does Not Effect Blood Sugar

When caffeine was removed from the coffee, blood sugar levels did not rise higher than normal. On the basis of this study, diabetics should drink decaffeinated coffee, rather than one with caffeine, in addition to severely restricting sugar-added foods, bakery products, pastas, fruit juices and they should eat root vegetables and fruits only with meals.

Drinking Coffee May Contribute To Unhealthy Lifestyle

Is there anything about coffee drinkers that might also be contributing to a healthier lifestyle? No, It's the opposite. People who drink a lot of coffee actually have an unhealthy lifestyle compared to non-coffee drinkers. They smoke more, and many of them are heavy smokers. They eat an unhealthy diet. So this suggests that a healthier lifestyle is likely to explain this kind of benefit.

Coffee May Be More Healthful Than Harmful

The perception has been that heavy coffee consumption is an unhealthy behavior because it has many adverse effects such as increased risk of bladder cancer or heart disease, which are associations that studies have not borne out. Actually, the recent studies suggest that coffee may be more healthful than harmful. Coffee has been associated with decreased risk of gallstone disease and Parkinson's disease. Some studies have also shown that It's associated with decreased risk of suicide and even colon cancer.

Highest Antioxidant Levels

"Americans get more of their antioxidants from coffee than any other dietary source. Nothing else comes close," says study leader Joe Vinson, Ph.D., a chemistry professor at the university of Scranton, Pa.. Although fruits and vegetables are generally promoted as good sources of antioxidants, the new finding is surprising because it represents the first time that coffee has been shown to be the primary source from which most Americans get their antioxidants, Vinson says. Both caffeinated and decaf versions appear to provide similar antioxidant levels, he adds.

Coffee: More Than An Energy Boost?
By Baseline Of Health Staff
Edited To Fit This Format

Love your morning coffee? Now, there may be more reason to enjoy it than just that quick jolt of energy it gives you. Along with the energy boost, it seems that coffee can also help reduce your risk of having a stroke.

Recent research that took place at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, found that women who have more than one cup of coffee each day have a 22 to 25 percent lower risk of stroke than those women who don't drink coffee or have less than a cup a day. But it's not just beneficial for women -- another study conducted by the same researchers in 2008 determined a similar outcome for men who were coffee drinkers.

This is hardly the first research that has linked coffee with health benefits. Other studies have found an association between coffee consumption and improved heart health, better vision, reduced risk of developing liver cancer, and preventing cognitive decline as we age.

But keep in mind, the health benefits conferred by drinking coffee are likely in the antioxidants it contains, not the caffeine. Chlorogenic acid is a plant compound found in higher concentrations in the coffee bean than in just about anything else we eat. Caffeic acid is another organic compound present in coffee beans that can act as a carcinogenic inhibitor. Coffee also contains melanoidins, which form as the beans are roasted and give the drink its color. Each of these can be beneficial to our bodies, as can all forms of antioxidants.

Now for the downside - coffee also contains a lot of caffeine -- typically 75 to 100 milligrams per cup. Therefore, the more coffee you drink, even in the morning, the more likely it will still be circulating throughout your body when you try to fall asleep at night. Caffeine disrupts both the depth and the quality of your slumber, disturbing your sleep patterns over the long term. In addition, caffeine is addictive, although not in the same sense as cocaine and/or heroin. Nevertheless, anyone who consumes as little as 300 mg of caffeine a day (the equivalent of just three cups of drip coffee) will suffer withdrawal symptoms if they abruptly cut off their caffeine supply. Another problem is that caffeine is a diuretic and can dehydrate you. And finally, there is also the problem that there are at least 32 epidemiological studies of caffeine that have found an increased risk of adverse developmental or reproductive outcomes. To put that in layman's terms, studies have linked caffeine to both lowered birth weight and a significant increase in birth defects.

So what's the bottom line?

Coffee, with the natural antioxidants it contains, is certainly a better source of caffeine than most of the other options out there, with the exception of certain teas. But be careful on days that you consume coffee to restrict your intake of caffeine from soft drinks, energy drinks, tea, chocolate, and even pain relievers (check the bottle -- many contain caffeine!). And don't mix caffeine and alcohol.

When drinking coffee, more than four cups per day tends to be the point at which most adults are simply taking in too much caffeine. In addition to insomnia, this stimulant can cause nervousness, restlessness, irritability, gastrointestinal issues, fast or irregular heartbeat, muscle tremors, headaches, and anxiety.

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