To Your Health
November, 2020 (Vol. 14, Issue 11)
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Coffee: Is Timing Everything?

By Editorial Staff

Millions of Americans drink coffee every morning to jump-start their day, but little do they know that when they drink it could have a dramatic impact on their health ... until now.

New research suggests drinking your coffee after breakfast, rather than before, exerts a beneficial effect on blood glucose control.

Published in the British Journal of Nutrition, the study involved healthy men and women who were asked to drink coffee under three different scenarios for comparison: a sugary drink after waking from a normal night's sleep; the same sugary drink after a disrupted night's sleep; and strong black coffee 30 minutes before consuming the sugary drink (after a disrupted night's sleep). The sugary (glucose) drink approximated in calories an average breakfast, and researchers took blood samples in each scenario after participants consumed the glucose drink to assess blood sugar control.

While quality of sleep did not impact blood glucose levels, the timing of coffee consumption did. Specifically, drinking coffee before breakfast dramatically increased the blood glucose response to breakfast - approximately a 50 percent increase.

coffee - Copyright – Stock Photo / Register Mark While this study was small and requires follow-up, it raises an important point: when it comes to coffee, is timing everything? Getting a little food in your stomach before drinking that first cup could make all the difference in terms of blood sugar control. Why is that important? For one, high blood sugar can lead to fatigue (exactly what you’re probably trying to avoid with that cup of coffee first thing in the a.m.). Long-term, high blood sugar can lead to type 2 diabetes. Talk to your doctor for more information about how to start your morning the right way with a balanced breakfast that keeps your blood sugar levels stable all day long.