Caffeine can increase blood sugar

That morning "cup o' joe" might just be complicating your health, if you have diabetes. This can cause alarm for some women, as the American Diabetes Association says nearly 9.7 million women or 8.8 percent of all women ages 20 or older have the condition -- but that unfortunately, nearly one-third of them don't even know it.

Blount Memorial Diabetes Management Center program coordinator and certified diabetes educator Dawn Hollaway, who also is a registered nurse, says for several years, the caffeine found in coffee has been looked at to see if it caused any type of increase in glucose levels. "Any continuous increase in glucose levels puts a diabetic at a higher risk for long-term complications." For example, Hollaway says individuals who are pre-diabetic are at a 1.5 times greater risk for cardiac disease when compared to individuals with normal glucose levels.

And those numbers should stay in the 80-120 range when fasting and below 140 two hours after meals. The hemoglobin A1C also should be 6.5 percent or lower. "In the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study, it was discovered that every 1 percent reduction in hemoglobin A1C equated to a 35 percent reduction in complications," she says. Complications, for women specifically, include death from heart disease and higher risk of heart attack and stroke.

Women with poorly controlled diabetes in the first trimester of pregnancy have a 5-10 percent chance of major birth defects in the fetus and a 15-20 percent chance of spontaneous abortions. Other non-gendered concerns include heart attacks, strokes, blindness, kidney failure and neuropathy.

So how does coffee potentially play a role in causing all these harms to the body? Researchers say that caffeine -- found in coffee -- may interfere with the transfer of glucose from blood into the cells of the body or that it stimulates the liver to release glucose when it's not needed. Hollaway says these findings may confuse some, especially those who think that glucose levels only are affected by sugar. In addition to the carbohydrates and sugars we consume in food and drinks, she says sickness, stress and some medications all play a part in elevating the levels.

Diabetics who are ill typically will experience a rapid increase in blood sugar levels. Sometimes hospitalized patients might need an insulin injection due to this. And because each person is a unique individual, patients will learn, too, that certain foods affect everyone's blood sugar levels differently. Hollaway urges diabetics to keep a log book of blood sugar readings, as it allows health care providers to know if a medication change is necessary or to see how different foods alter numbers.

Hollaway also says it's in anyone's best interest that if they're not avoiding caffeine, that they consume it only in moderation. She added that a no-caffeine trial could be helpful to diabetics or anyone with elevated blood sugar levels.

"Stop consuming caffeine for a few days and see if the numbers decrease," Hollaway urges. "Initially, there may be symptoms of caffeine withdrawal for a few days, such as headache, sleepiness or feeling groggy, but these soon will diminish." Hollaway adds that we all wake up every morning thinking we need a cup of coffee to get us going through the day or that cola in the afternoon to give us the boost we need to make it through. "In reality, all those drinks are doing is helping feed our caffeine addiction."

Not picking on coffee drinkers or caffeine consumers because coffee has shown some positive health benefits, too, Hollaway adds that it's not just one thing that controls our blood sugar levels. "It's a combination of many things including diet, exercise, taking diabetic medications as prescribed and stress management. If one of these is out of balance, then blood sugar can be out of balance, too."

The Women's Health column is provided by the staff and associates of Blount Memorial Hospital. It appears every Sunday in Women's Times. For more information on this column call 983-7211.