The Effect of Caffeine on Insulin Levels

Caffeine and carbohydrates together can be harmful to your health.

If you enjoy caffeinated beverages you should not take them with meals.

Many of us start our day off with a good cup of coffee. It contains a mild stimulate called caffeine which wakes us up and gives us a sense of euphoria by causing the release of adrenalin into the blood stream.

Nothing wrong with that if you are eating a high protein, low carbohydrate breakfast.

But if you are having coffee and pancakes or coffee and a sweet roll, it can shoot your blood sugar levels right through the ceiling----much higher than if you were having decaf coffee with your breakfast. Why?

Because adrenalin makes the cells less responsive to insulin.

When you eat carbohydrates, pancakes or sweet rolls or oatmeal for instance, they are broken down into glucose molecules in the digestive track. The glucose is absorbed into the blood stream, raising the blood sugar. In response, the pancreas releases insulin into the blood stream. The insulin attaches to glucose molecules and carries them to the cells. There the insulin molecules attach to the cell membrane at receptor sites, where the glucose is taken into the cell to be used for energy.

But if you have had caffeine along with your breakfast, you also have adrenalin circulating in the system. The adrenalin causes the cell to be resistant to insulin. Receptors on the cell membranes will not bind with insulin, or binds poorly. Glucose cannot get into the cell and remains in the blood stream.

The pancreas reads the high blood sugar as an indication that more insulin is needed. So now you have high blood sugar and high insulin levels.

High blood sugar results in sugar stuck to the cells because it cannot get inside. Once glucose is stuck on a cell membrane, it cannot be released and is converted into a poison, sorbitol, which destroys the cell.

High levels of insulin has several detrimental effects;

It constricts the arteries and can cause heart attacks.

It inhibits the release of seratonin from the brain, causing hunger.

It incites the body to make fat cells and to convert the blood glucose to fat which is stored in the fat cells, mainly in the liver and around the abdomen.

What can you do?

Drink decaffeinated beverages.

Drink caffeinated beverages when you are not eating.

Make your meals low carbohydrate to limit the amount of insulin required to process them.

Plan your meals without caffeine.
home