Post Time: 2025-07-18
Caffeine is a widely consumed stimulant found in coffee, energy drinks, and other products. While it offers numerous health benefits when taken in moderation, there's ongoing debate about its effects on blood sugar levels.
Coffee contains approximately 95 milligrams of caffeine per 8-ounce serving. When ingested, caffeine increases alertness by stimulating the brain and body to release adrenaline. Adrenaline triggers insulin resistance, a condition where cells become less responsive to insulin. This can lead to increased blood glucose levels in people with diabetes or those at risk.
However, the connection between coffee consumption and blood sugar fluctuations is more complex than previously thought. Research suggests that moderate amounts of caffeine do not significantly impact fasting blood glucose levels in healthy individuals. A study conducted by researchers from Harvard School of Public Health found no significant association between caffeine intake and an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The Impact on Insulin Sensitivity
One reason why coffee consumption is associated with improved insulin sensitivity is the antioxidants present in brewed coffee, particularly polyphenols like chlorogenic acid. Chlorogenic acid has been shown to inhibit glucose-6-phosphatase activity in animal models and may contribute to enhanced insulin signaling pathways.
Individual Variability in Blood Sugar Response
Despite some studies suggesting no significant link between moderate caffeine intake and increased blood sugar levels, it is essential for individuals with diabetes or those at risk of developing the condition to be mindful of their sensitivity. As each person's physiology differs significantly, even small amounts of caffeine can affect glucose metabolism.
Coffee Intake Recommendations
In conclusion, when considering whether coffee increases blood sugar levels, consider these factors: individual tolerance and response variability; antioxidant content in brewed coffee; insulin resistance triggered by caffeine; and overall diet quality. Moderate to low intake (2-3 cups per day) seems safe for most adults without affecting glucose metabolism.
To maximize the health benefits of consuming coffee while minimizing potential effects on blood sugar, consider incorporating it into your daily routine at breakfast time when paired with a balanced meal that includes protein sources, fiber-rich foods and healthy fats.
Please Subscribe for 3x Videos Per Week + Live Broadcasts To learn more, blood sugar 61 fasting visit my website here: Get the Apparel I Wear at Keto and Fasting vs. Blood Sugar | Ketone Production | Glucose- Thomas DeLauer… Prior to converting to the keto diet, your muscles were the major sites to soak up and use glucose in the blood for energy. On the long-term keto diet, however, they now prefer fat as fuel - so the muscles are resisting the action of insulin to bring sugar into cells for energy as they don’t want or need sugar anymore, so they don’t get absorbed. Hence, the slightly elevated, but generally stable, glucose circulating in the blood - the glucose coming from when you consume no sugar is due to gluconeogenesis. Why Does This Occur? There is no essential requirement for dietary carbs because humans possess the ability to adapt to low-carb availability. In the liver of a keto-adapted person, ketone production increases dramatically to displace glucose as the brain’s primary energy source, while fatty acids supply the majority of energy for skeletal muscle. Glucose production from non-carb sources via gluconeogenesis supplies carbons for the few cells dependent on glycolysis. The majority of glucose is spared for tissues with an absolute requirement for it, such as the brain. So with muscle tissue “refusing” the glucose in order to keep it available for the brain, the blood glucose rises, especially first thing in the morning - due to the dawn phenomenon. When you are sleeping your body is very active cleaning out the brain and rebalancing hormones to prepare you for the next day. Early in the morning, the body releases cortisol, epinephrine, growth hormone, and glucagon - these hormones all have the effect of increasing blood sugar to wake you up. The difference in those who are following a ketogenic lifestyle is that if they are well keto-adapted, then their cells may refuse to burn that sugar for energy, which can make fasting blood sugar levels be more elevated than usual. Simply, dawn phenomenon is a natural rise in blood sugar because of a surge of hormones secreted at night which trigger your liver to dump sugar into your blood to help prepare you for the day. In Depth: So physiological insulin resistance is actually quite logical as muscle runs well on lipids and so glucose can be left for tissues such as brain, which really need it. Neuronal tissue varies in its use of insulin to uptake glucose but doesn't accumulate lipid in the way muscle does, so physiological insulin resistance is not an issue for brain cells. However, while muscles are in "refusal mode" for glucose the least input, from food or gluconeogenesis, will rapidly spike blood glucose. Instead of sugar not being able to get into the cells due to insulin resistance, the cells are simply refusing to burn sugar because they would prefer the ketones already being used. So after going low carb, your muscle tissue becomes insulin resistant in order to preserve serum do blood sugar apps work glucose availability for the brain. If your muscle tissue did not do this, reduced availability of glucose in the serum could (theoretically) put you in dire straights if your brain can’t meet minimal demand for glucose. In other words, physiological insulin resistance is a protective response of the body that ensures that the brain gets the benefit of a limited supply of glucose. Because the rest of the body is refusing to take up glucose, and the liver takes it up slowly, a meal of blood sugar test log sheet carbohydrates is followed by higher blood glucose levels in someone on a low carbohydrate diet. 1) physiology.org | Error. (n.d.). Retrieved from 2) Distinct Effects of Ketone Bodies on Down-Regulation of Cell Surface Insulin Receptor and Insulin Receptor Substrate-1 Phosphorylation in Adrenal Chromaffin Cells. (2003, March 1). Retrieved from 3) Why High Fasting Blood Glucose on Low Carb or Keto? ? Diet Doctor. (n.d.). Retrieved from 4) Higher Fasting Glucose on Ketogenic Diets: Reason to Worry? (2018, October 10). Retrieved from 5) Physiological Insulin Resistance - Ketopia. (2015, September 2). Retrieved from 6) Ketogenic Diet and Physiological Insulin Resistance | Low Carb Diet and Dawn Phenomenon. (2018, March 4). Retrieved from