Effects of Caffeine?

[Minerva]

Does caffeine have a metabolic effect that leads to it being "forbidden?

Does it affect blood sugar and/or insulin and/or fat burning rates?


Or is it only forbidden because it makes some people feel hungry?

[Farley]

Re: Effects of Caffeine?

Does caffeine have a metabolic effect that leads to it being "forbidden?

Does it affect blood sugar and/or insulin and/or fat burning rates?


Or is it only forbidden because it makes some people feel hungry?

Answers are:
Yes, Yes, No.

Generally caffeine is not acceptable on Atkins because of what it does to the blood sugar. After drinking or eating something with caffeine many people have a hypoglycemic reaction. Their blood sugar level temporarily drops, triggering cravings for sugary foods or carbohydrates. And Dr. Atkins also noted that caffeine simply wasn’t healthy. Weight loss has stalled for some people who continue to use caffeine on this WOE. Coffee also contains carbs, and it NOT on the acceptable food list. It is a food that has no nutritional value and it is taking up the space of precious vegtables and other nutrient dense carbohydrate foods.

[Minerva]

Re: Effects of Caffeine?

Answers are:
Yes, Yes, No.

Generally caffeine is not acceptable on Atkins because of what it does to the blood sugar. After drinking or eating something with caffeine many people have a hypoglycemic reaction. Their blood sugar level temporarily drops, triggering cravings for sugary foods or carbohydrates. And Dr. Atkins also noted that caffeine simply wasn’t healthy. Weight loss has stalled for some people who continue to use caffeine on this WOE. Coffee also contains carbs, and it NOT on the acceptable food list. It is a food that has no nutritional value and it is taking up the space of precious vegtables and other nutrient dense carbohydrate foods.

What does it do to insulin levels and fat storage?
Cravings are one thing-- those can be controlled with sufficient will power-- but if it messes with your insulin and causes fat to be stored, then mind over matter can do nothing.

[Farley]

Re: Effects of Caffeine?

Exerpt from the ADA Journal

http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/27/12/2990.full
We found that high coffee consumption for 4 weeks increased fasting insulin concentrations compared with coffee abstinence. Consumption of somewhat weaker coffee and caffeine intake were nonsignificantly associated with higher fasting insulin concentrations. No substantial effects of coffee or caffeine on fasting glucose concentrations were observed.
The increased fasting insulin concentration after high coffee consumption in our study probably reflects decreased insulin sensitivity. In short-term metabolic studies, caffeine intake acutely lowered insulin sensitivity over 100–180 min (7–9). In a study of 5 days of caffeine intake, complete tolerance to the effects of caffeine on fasting glucose concentrations developed (19), but effects on norepinephrine and free fatty acid concentrations partly remained for the high-dose caffeine treatment. Thus, effects of high amounts of caffeine on catecholamines and free fatty acids may have contributed to a decrease in insulin sensitivity in our studies. However, we cannot completely exclude the possibility that the elevated insulin concentrations after coffee consumption were due to higher insulin secretion (20) or to reduced hepatic insulin clearance as a result of increased free fatty acid concentrations (21).

[Minerva]

Re: Effects of Caffeine?

Exerpt from the ADA Journal

Thanks. That's the kind of information I was looking for.

I've never been a big caffeine fiend, but I do like one cup of coffee or black tea in the morning. I've cut back to a cup of "half caff" but maybe I need to wean myself off even that.

[Farley]

Re: Effects of Caffeine?

You're welcome.