Coffee and Blood Sugar

(Anthony Mariapain) #1

@carl in your last 2 podcasts, there was a discussion on coffee and how it spiked your blood sugar with no science follow-up.

Was it the specific coffee you drank? All coffees?

Can you or anyone peel the onion on this one!?!?!

(William B Fenton) #2

Coffee and Caffeine can stimulate the liver to release Glucose.

EDIT HERE

It can also increase insulin resistance

(bulkbiker) #3

Is that a proven or an association?
Not trying to argue but I’d like to see some evidence if there is any?

(Bob M) #4

I looked for a relationship between coffee and my blood sugar using both pin-prick and continuous glucose monitors and could not find one.

The effect of coffee on “insulin” is more complex:

(migorstmarseille) #5

I noticed a significant drop in my blood sugar the month I quit coffee. I’m guessing raises Cortisol, which, from what I understand, raises insulin. I drink coffee now, and have adjusted a few other things in my life to keep blood sugar low.

#6

I’m quite new to keto, coming on 6 months. A few weeks ago, I started measuring my blood glucose levels at 7, before coffee. My level is usually high, around 150. After drinking about 2 cups of black coffee, 2nd cup usually has a splash of MCT oil, I take a reading and my levels often fall thirty points.

Recently my dawn levels have come down to around 130. Not 100%. Repeat above pattern. Now my levels increase from 5 to 20 points.

So when my dawn levels are high my 11 AM levels decline. If dawn levels are low 11AM rises,

Any ideas?

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #7

What is the degree of accuracy of your glucometer?

For example, a fall of 30 points is 20% of 150, which is well within the limit of accuracy of some meters, so it could either be real (probably the action of insulin), or it could be the the same reading, since the ranges of accuracy overlap. If your meter’s limit of accuracy is less than 20%, then you are more likely to be observing a real phenomenon.

Likewise, given that at 20% accuracy, a reading of 130 could reflect an actual value from 104 to 156, a 20-point rise could simply be noise. Now at 10% accuracy, a reading of 130 reflects a range of 117-143, in which case a rise of 20 points would mean a real change (and probably the result of cortisol).

The problem with coffee and a ketogenic diet is that no one really seems to know what it’s effect really is. And notice that they don’t say “caffeine,” they say “coffee,” and no one ever talks about the effects of tea or caffeinated soda on a ketogenic diet, nor do they distinguish between real or decaffeinated. So whatever the problem or benefit comes from, it’s one of the non-caffeine components of coffee. Unfortunately, no one has ever answered my plea to say what that component might be.

It’s probably not from the theobromine content of the coffee, either, because (a) there’s very little in coffee (hot chocolate is a different matter, and no one ever worries about the effect of hot chocolate on keto, except if it’s sweetened with sugar), and (b) caffeine and theobromine are both methylxanthines and have very similar effects on the body, so if one were the problem, the other most likely would be, as well.

#8

Thank you. I have no idea of the accuracy of my meter. I do the control strips but that wouldn’t reflect the accuracy of the meter. Read all the enclosed materials but could not find the accuracy of the meter. I’m sure it is not one of the best.

I was confused as to why when my dawn effect is high, levels descend and when it is low, levels ascend.
Meter accuracy would be an explanation.
I don’t want to give up coffee.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #9

You could be seeing something real. Just don’t get too upset, until you can learn what the accuracy of your limit is. The 20% and 10% figures I gave in my post are just examples; you need to look at the documentation to see what your actual limit of accuracy is.

(Joey) #10

*** WARNING: JUST SOME GUY’S OPINION - NO SCIENTIFIC DATA ***

My suspicion is that coffee has (virtually) nothing to do with what you’re observing.

More likely: there are confounding variables at play.

Kudos … Sounds like you’re making measurable progress in lowering your fasted glucose levels. That’s a very good thing. Better insulin sensitivity? Lower dietary glucose assaults? Some mix of the two? Regardless = good news.

Yet we all experience a “dawn effect” to some extent. It’s how our bodies get our brains to awaken from sleep. The fact that you can see a rise from this lower starting point is interesting, but I’m not sure how troubling - given the other progress you’re making.

I would be hesitant for you to try to ditch a cup of morning coffee under these circumstances. Having said that, perhaps 1 cup of black coffee, rather than 2? Perhaps not spiking it with MCT (what’s the point)? You might even try decaf to see if that changes anything (would be interested in your results!)

Above all else, it’s great to hear you’re 6 months into keto given what you’ve shared as your starting HbA1c.

Best wishes! :vulcan_salute: