Diabetics advised to avoid caffeine; new study shows radical blood sugar effects

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So this news may come as a shock to many Type 2 diabetics, and it could prove to be especially disturbing, given that most diabetics are overweight, that one of the ways they attempt to lose weight is by consuming diet pills that boost their metabolism with caffeine. In essence, the diet pills that many diabetics are taking in an attempt to lose weight may actually be causing their blood sugar to swing even more unpredictably, and ultimately result in more extreme carbohydrate cravings, which causes them to overeat and lose progress on their diet. In response to this, some people just decide to take ridiculous quantities of weight-loss pills, and this is exactly how a handful of people were harmed by taking Ephedra, an herbal weight-loss supplement that contains natural caffeine compounds. If you take too much caffeine, of course you are going to do yourself damage, just as if you drank twelve cups of coffee on an empty stomach.

Beyond the issue of diabetics and diet pills, it's interesting to note that America has a love affair with coffee. So many people, including many people that I know, start their day with one or two cups of coffee, and can't imagine living without it. They are using caffeine as medication, as a drug, to alter their body chemistry and mental response. This use of caffeine is, I believe, irresponsible, if not downright wacky. The human mind shouldn't need a stimulant to function properly. The body shouldn't need a dose of drugs every morning to feel energetic. If you are currently addicted to coffee -- and yes, it is an addiction -- that's an indication that there's something else lacking in your diet, or there's something that needs adjustment in your lifestyle. Because a healthy person wakes up and hops out of bed with extraordinary energy and fantastic mental clarity without needing any drugs whatsoever. If this doesn't describe the way you wake up, caffeine isn't the answer. It's better to look at your food and nutrition to find what might be causing sluggishness.

Getting back to the study, caffeine certainly does alter the balance of blood sugar in the human body, but there's something else here that's worth mentioning: when caffeine is consumed in combination with refined sugars, such as the refined white sugar that many people put in their morning coffee, it multiplies the effect on the blood sugar, causing extreme imbalances that can lead to hypoglycemia. It should go without saying that diabetic patients must avoid that combination for the rest of their lives. Caffeine plus refined carbohydrates (or sugar) is literally a deadly combination for any person who is diabetic. For people who aren't diabetic, the combination can also spell trouble, and it can push someone towards obesity or diabetes if they continue to consume that combination over the long haul.

Now, there may be a few people out there who are able to handle both caffeine and refined sugars without showing these radical blood sugar swings, and if you're one of those people, good for you, but make no mistake, you are the exception, not the general rule. Most people have difficulty with this combination, whether they realize it or not, and they would do much better, in terms of health, body weight, mental clarity and overall wellness, by removing both caffeine and refined sugars from their diets for the rest of their lives. So, say goodbye to that Starbucks Frappucino, and consider ditching that caffeinated tea with sugar. Instead, get yourself a non-caffeine drink, like pure water or unsweetened soy milk.

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About the author: Mike Adams is a natural health author and technology pioneer with a mission to teach personal and planetary health to the public He has authored and published thousands of articles, interviews, consumers guides, and books on topics like health and the environment, reaching millions of readers with information that is saving lives and improving personal health around the world. Adams is an honest, independent journalist and accepts no money or commissions on the third-party products he writes about or the companies he promotes. In 2007, Adams launched EcoLEDs, a manufacturer of mercury-free, energy-efficient LED lighting products that save electricity and help prevent global warming. He's also the CEO of a highly successful email newsletter software company that develops software used to send permission email campaigns to subscribers. Adams is currently the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit, and regularly pursues cycling, nature photography, Capoeira and Pilates. Known on the 'net as 'the Health Ranger,' Adams shares his ethics, mission statements and personal health statistics at www.HealthRanger.org

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