A recent story on the relationship between caffeine and insulin resistance.

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Ontario researchers look for link between type 2 diabetes and caffeine

GUELPH, Ont. (CP) - Researchers at three Ontario universities are studying the link between caffeine and type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes in Canada.

"The statistics in Canada and the western world are startling," says Prof. Terry Graham of the University of Guelph, who, along with researchers at Queen's and Waterloo are conducting the three-year study."Cases are becoming increasingly common, and at younger age groups. We're finding caffeine can have an unhealthy effect on insulin levels for people already at risk."

Type-2 diabetes accounts for 90 per cent of the diabetes in Canada. Those with the disease can still produce insulin - the body's blood glucose regulator - but Graham says they can't produce enough to "get the job done," and they often have to take drugs to help manage blood sugar levels.

He says the two biggest risk factors are inactivity and obesity. And there has been a sharp increase in type-2 diabetes in younger people in western populations.

While it was once described as maturity onset, it's now common among people in their 40s, and increasing obesity in children suggests it will continue to affect younger age groups.

Graham's concern is based on his previous studies involving caffeine's impact on exercise metabolism using two groups of university-aged men - one group called "lean," and the other "obese." The subjects were tested using an oral glucose tolerance test, conducted with and without prior caffeine ingestion.

"Ideally, you want to produce the least amount of insulin to get your body's glucose level down to normal," Graham says. "We found that obese individuals have a resistance to insulin, which means they require higher levels of insulin to adjust their glucose levels. When given caffeine, their insulin levels go through the roof."

This research focused on short-term effects of caffeine. But the new project will study some long-term effects surrounding caffeine and type-2 diabetes. Among other long-term effects, the researchers will be looking for signs that the body adapts in habitual caffeine users.

"Caffeine is often thought of as a benign drug," says Graham, "and in many ways, it is. But from what we've seen so far, this research could lead to important potential treatment for diabetics."