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Decaffeinate Your Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease that has long plagued patients around the world; yet despite the history and prevalence of the condition, it continues to mystify doctors, researchers and patients. One mystery is the correlation between diabetes and caffeine.

Researchers in Japan have claimed that people who drink coffee or green tea can reduce their risk of diabetes. On the other hand, medical experts also claim that caffeine poses a higher risk for diabetes. A study was conducted on people between the ages of 40 and 65 who drank green, black or oolong tea. These researchers found that, based on the study, those who drank at least three or more cups of caffeine each day were able to reduce their risk of diabetes by 33 percent. However, other substances in coffee can have a negative effect on metabolism, causing other health problems.

Research conducted at a respected university medical centre suggested that drinking caffeine with meals would result in an increase in insulin and glucose levels in participants with Type 2 diabetes. Insulin is a naturally-occurring component in the body that converts glucose into energy. A person with diabetes who drinks caffeine with a meal may suffer from a hindered metabolism. Participants who fasted during the study showed no significant changes in their insulin or glucose 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.

Traditionally, caffeine intake was a concern only for older patients. Unfortunately, young adults and even teenagers are at risk of consuming too much caffeine. Soft drink companies are now marketing "power drinks" to these young consumers. This rather sad "energy drink" craze has resulted in some juices and bottled waters with added caffeine, as well as high-powered teas sold by respected tea manufacturers.

Anyone interested in reducing the risk of developing diabetes, controlling an existing condition or simply living a healthier lifestyle must take steps to reduce or eliminate caffeine intake.

Article Source: http://archivex-ht.com/articles

Phillip Blunzon writes for a variety of interesting web-based magazines, and for more info on health subjects, visit this web site or click here.
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