August 20, 2000
Other
Question from Fayetteville, Ohio, USA:
My six year old son was diagnosed three years ago. I overheard an author of a diet book say that caffeine affects the blood sugar levels. Is this true?
Answer:
Two years ago there was a rather well conducted study in the University of Padua in Italy which showed that caffeine did indeed induce a modest and temporary degree of glucose intolerance. There was no speculation as to the reason except that it was shown not to be related to blood insulin levels. Whether this has any relevance for a six year old with diabetes who likes Diet Coke I can’t say. However, one of our dietitians who has a young son with diabetes who is also dedicated to Diet Mountain Dew tells me that he takes it to ward off mild hypoglycemia. Caffeine is also said to diminish hypoglycemia unawareness.
DOB
