Let’s unpack caffeine

What is caffeine?

Caffeine occurs naturally in foods such as coffee beans, tea leaves and cocoa and has a long history of being used as a way to boost energy. Products are also available with added caffeine, including cola type soft drinks and energy drinks. Caffeine can increase mental alertness, relieve tiredness and improve concentration.

How much is too much?

Food and drinks containing caffeine have been around for thousands of years. Research has found that moderate amounts of caffeine are safe for the general population and not harmful to our health.
Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) reviewed the evidence to determine what a moderate or “safe” level of caffeine would be.

• No more than 400mg each day for the general adult population
• A maximum of 200mg in one serving
• No more than 200mg each day for pregnant and breastfeeding women
• No more than 3mg caffeine per kilogram, for children under 18 years old

Currently there is no specific recommendation for people living with diabetes. It may be a good idea to speak with your health care professional about the right amount of caffeine for you. They may be able to tell you whether caffeine interacts with your medications or impacts other health conditions you could be living with.

Note: Everyone responds to caffeine differently. Some people may be more sensitive to the effects of caffeine than others.

Signs that you are sensitive to caffeine or may be having too much include:
• Feeling anxious
• Increase in heart rate
• Difficulty getting to or staying asleep

Amount of caffeine in common food and drinks

*Keep in mind these are approximate amounts.

Using these amounts, a double shot or large coffee could have up to 200mg of caffeine. This is half of the upper limit of 400mg caffeine per day. On the other hand, if you only drink black tea, it could take 6-8 cups of black tea to reach the upper limit of 400mg of caffeine.

Considerations

People that may need to be more careful with caffeine intake and have smaller amounts include those with:

• Sensitivity to caffeine
• Severe anxiety
• Heart disease or irregular heartbeat
• A history of stomach ulcers or reflux
• Liver disease
• Kidney disease
• Seizures

How does caffeine relate to diabetes?

Some studies suggest having caffeine within 6 hours before you go to sleep can reduce your sleep quality. Over time, poor quality sleep can make it harder to manage diabetes. Poor sleep can increase insulin resistance and cortisol levels. Insulin resistance is when your body doesn’t respond to insulin as well as it should. Higher cortisol levels tell your liver to release stored glucose into the blood stream. Both can lead to higher glucose levels.

Some food and drinks that have caffeine also have carbohydrates. For example, black coffee has no carbohydrates as it is just coffee and water. However, a latte does have carbohydrate coming from the milk. This is because milk contains a natural sugar called lactose. Drinking a small latte once a day is unlikely to impact your glucose levels too much, however if you drink multiple milky coffees each day this could have an impact on your glucose levels.

Be mindful of what you add to drinks like coffee and tea e.g. sugar, syrups and honey as these will affect glucose levels. Sweetened drinks like regular soft drinks and energy drinks are not recommended for people living with diabetes because of the high sugar content and potential harmful effects of other energy boosting ingredients such as guarana and taurine that are found in energy drinks.

Summary

The good news is you don’t need to give up your morning coffee! Just keep in mind that coffee isn’t the only thing contributing to your daily caffeine intake. Energy drinks and soft drinks are not recommended for people living with diabetes while tea and coffee with no added sugar can be included daily.

People with certain health conditions or those who are sensitive to caffeine may need to be more careful with caffeine and would benefit from speaking with their health professional.