A recent paper published in the British Journal of Nutrition has revealed some interesting information regarding the effects of disrupted sleep and morning coffee. By looking at a wide range of metabolic markers, researchers found that your early morning coffee could have a negative effect on blood sugar control, especially when consumed before breakfast. Physiologists at the University of Bath (United Kingdom) put 29 women through three separate overnight experiments. In one, the women had a normal night’s sleep and drank a sugary drink upon waking. In the second experiment, they were woken every hour for five minutes and consumed the same sugary drink upon waking. In the third experiment, the participants were woken throughout the night and were given a strong black coffee 30 minutes before drinking the sugary drink. The drink consisted of a similar amount of calories as found in an average breakfast. A blood sample was taken following the consumption of the drink.
The researchers found that one isolated night of disturbed sleep did not worsen the participant’s blood sugar levels. The strong black coffee, on the other hand, increased their blood sugar by 50%. People commonly use coffee to counteract the effects of a lack of sleep, with 50% of US adults and 80% of UK adults regularly consuming coffee first thing in the morning. This new study has exposed that although an individual may feel more alert, they may actually be causing other problems by drinking coffee upon waking. Lead researcher, Harry Smith, from the Department for Health at Bath stated: “...individuals should try to balance the potential stimulating benefits of caffeinated coffee in the morning with the potential for higher blood glucose levels and it may be better to consume coffee following breakfast rather than before.”
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