Researchers have found that a healthy person`s blood sugar levels spike after eating a high-fat meal, and that the spike doubles after having both a fatty meal and caffeinated coffee- jumping to levels similar to those of people at risk for diabetes, the `Journal of Nutrition` reported.
"The results tell us that saturated fat interferes with the body`s ability to clear sugars from the blood and, when combined with caffeinated coffee the impact can be worse.
"Having sugar remain in our blood for long periods is unhealthy because it can take a toll on our body`s organs," lead researcher Marie-Soleil Beaudoin of University of Guelph in Canada said.
The study is the first to examine the effects of saturated fat and caffeinated coffee on blood sugar levels using a novel fat cocktail which contains only lipids. This specially designed beverage allows researchers to accurately mimic what happens to the body when we ingest fat.
For the study, healthy men drank about one gram of the fat beverage for every kilogram of body weight for their first meal. Six hours later, they were given a second meal consisting of a sugar drink.