WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO DRINK COFFEE? To add more specifics to my last post, this study had some interesting information to offer. In a very large study of almost 70,000 women, those who drank >1.1 cups / day had a 44% lower risk of developing diabetes. That’s pretty strong evidence.
More importantly, this protectiveness was ONLY found when the coffee was taken with meals. While this may seem strange at first glance, I may have some insight. It is likely that the polyphenols in coffee are actually helping the body utilizes the insulin that is released during a meal. While there are some strong effects of caffeine on our body’s use of glucose, the protective effect was seen in this study on both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee. This further supports the recommendation to eat breakfast (high fiber or protein based–NOT oatmeal or Cheerios!) with your morning coffee.
