Abstract:
This review describes the impact of drinking coffee on glycemic profile parameters (glycemic index [GI], glycemic load [GL], glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity) and diabetes mellitus. Coffee is very popular in Arab communities including Saudi Arabia. Clinical research has revealed the negative effect of caffeine including a reduction in insulin sensitivity that impairs glucose tolerance. Epidemiological studies also show that drinking coffee has positive effects on both glucose tolerance and sensitivity to insulin, which might assist in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes especially over long periods of consumption. More studies are thus needed to gain a deeper understanding of how coffee drinking is linked to type 2 diabetes.