Diabetes is a very common disease affecting children and adults around the world, yet there are still many mysteries and debates about diabetic treatments. For example, the jury is still out on the correlation between caffeine and diabetes.
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.
Diabetes patients know that it's important to lower blood glucose levels. Healthy levels can easily be maintained by eating the right foods and exercising regularly. Now, these new medical findings suggest that reducing or eliminating caffeine is another way to control diabetes.
When a patient suffers from diabetes, his or her body does not have the ability to control sugar levels in the blood. Many patients are also faced with the body's inability to produce sufficient insulin. Others have a hormone that resists insulin. All of these patients must be concerned with the amount of tea and coffee they ingest, as caffeine has been shown to have a direct negative effect on insulin levels.
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.
Caffeine intake used to be a health issue reserved for older patients. Now, younger people are facing the same dangers. The soft drink industry is, sadly, marketing "power drinks" with dangerously high levels of caffeine to consumers in the age 15-21 demographic. Some juices and even bottled waters are infused with caffeine, and even respected tea manufacturers are producing "high-powered" teas that are packed with caffeine.
If you have diabetes, or are concerned with preventing the disease, you need to know that there is a definite link between caffeine and diabetes. Talk to your doctor, and take steps to reduce your caffeine intake. Better yet, eliminate caffeine from your diet altogether.
Columnist Phillip Blunzon loves writing for a variety of well-known Internet magazines, on health education and health questions topics.
Click here to get your own unique version of this article: Uber Articles directory.
Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Diabetes Articles Via RSS!
