What’s the first thing you do every morning? If the answer is reaching for a cup of coffee, you are not alone. 90 percent of adults consume caffeine almost daily. But surprisingly, research indicates that the morning is in fact not the best time to drink your coffee.
A study conducted at the University of Bath has found that drinking coffee before eating in the morning can have a negative effect on your body, namely on blood sugar control. As part of the study, male and female participants slept from 11 pm to 7 am and were asked to consume a sugary drink upon waking up. In another experiment, their sleep was repeatedly disrupted with text messages they had to respond to. Again, they consumed the sugary drink when they woke up. In a third experiment, participants whose sleep was disrupted were given a strong black coffee before consuming the sugary drink.
The results showed that disrupted sleep or not, participants’ blood glucose responses didn’t worsen. However, the blood glucose response of those who had black coffee before the sugary drink (AKA ‘breakfast’) spiked by about 50%.
This suggests that relying on coffee to stop feeling sleepy could limit your body’s ability to tolerate the sugar in your breakfast. What’s the best time to drink coffee then? Experts recommend drinking your cup in the mid-morning or early afternoon.
