Increase caffeine triggers higher teen diabetes risk

April 5, 2016   |   Evidence in Integrative Healthcare

It’s a good idea to gather information via intake forms, asking how much sugary, energy drinks, your teen patients are using. A Canadian study where teens were given sugar-free, 5- hour caffeinated drinks with 208 mg of caffeine, could not metabolize sugar as easily as when they drank the same caffeine-free drink. The subjects given glucose tolerance tests showed a 25% increase in glucose and insulin levels compared to those subjects using the decaf version of the drink. Jane Shearer, assistant professor and diabetes researcher stated: “…elevated caffeine content in (sugar free) energy drinks is what causes this response.” Although findings are preliminary, the results are troubling, especially because the blood sugar did not reduce even after insulin was being produced. These findings could signal another link to the increasing diabetes problems now being found in teens as well as adults.