Recently, we came across a paper published by the University of Birth that caught our attention. The paper discusses the relationship between coffee consumption, breakfast, and blood glucose levels.
The study found that consuming coffee before breakfast can result in a larger blood glucose spike from the meal. The researchers split the participants into three groups. Group one had a standard night’s sleep and then took an oral glucose tolerance test. Group two had a disrupted night’s sleep and then consumed coffee before the test, while group three had the same disrupted night’s sleep but did not consume coffee before the test. The study found that the group that consumed coffee before the test had a larger spike in blood glucose levels.
We were intrigued by these findings and decided to conduct our experiment to see if the results would hold up. We used a continuous glucose measuring device to track our blood glucose levels every 15 minutes. We conducted four tests over four days, each with a different variation of breakfast and coffee.
On the first day, we had breakfast without coffee, and our blood glucose spiked quite high after the meal. The next day, we had coffee before breakfast, and our blood glucose spike was lower than the previous day. The third day, we went for a walk after breakfast, and our blood glucose spike was smaller than the previous two days. Finally, on the fourth day, we had protein before breakfast, and our blood glucose spike was almost non-existent.
While our experiment did not perfectly replicate the results of the University of Birth’s study, it did give us some interesting insights. We found that the order in which we consumed food and coffee had an impact on our blood glucose levels. However, we also acknowledge that everyone’s body is different, and what works for one person may not work for another.
Reducing spikes in blood glucose levels can be beneficial for overall health. While we do not recommend that anyone make significant changes to their diet or exercise routine without consulting a healthcare professional, we do believe that tracking your blood glucose levels can be a useful tool for managing your health.
In conclusion, we are always looking for ways to improve health and wellness. The relationship between coffee consumption, breakfast, and blood glucose levels is a fascinating topic that we will continue to explore. While our experiment did not perfectly replicate the results of the University of Birth’s study, it did provide us with some valuable insights. We hope that our findings will encourage others to explore this topic further and consider using tools such as continuous glucose monitoring to track their health
As a person with Type 1 diabetes who wears a continuous glucose monitor, I can absolutely corroborate these spikes. As James said, everyone’s body responds differently, but if I drink coffee before or after breakfast, my spikes are calmer. The diabetic’s relationship to coffee is complex, especially the diabetic barista. It was just nice to see other people discussing this issue.
I have found something similar for my own breakfast routine. I feel better and stronger for longer if I eat some protein in my breakfast. Of course I always have coffee as part of that process. It doesn’t seem to matter as much what order I eat it in but something like eggs and toast and coffee or ham and cheese sandwich and coffee or sausage and hash brown and coffee or steel cut oats and bacon and coffee works best for me. The coffee has to be good though! I often just eat the carbs and coffee because of convenience or time constraints or the need to shoo mire frequently. I can feel the difference well before lunch time. I also noticed that while protein with breakfast makes me feel better it also makes me feel hungrier at lunch time and want to eat lunch earlier. That’s weird. Thank you for looking critically at your own nutrition and health and encouraging us to do the same. Great stuff!