What’s the Best Coffee for Diabetes? Exploring the Best Blends

Finding the best coffee for diabetes management could be the key to a simpler lifestyle for those affected.

January 30, 2025
Coffee cup with scattered coffee beans, white tablets, and a yellow glucose meter reading 8.5

Though diabetes can be challenging to live with, it doesn’t have to hold you back from your favorite cup of morning coffee. In fact, there are some ways coffee may help manage the disease. 

In this article, we’ll take you through everything you need to know about coffee’s relationship with diabetes, what you can and can’t drink, the best coffee to drink for diabetes, and tips to better manage your symptoms.

Which Types of Coffee Are Best for Diabetes?

Coffee is generally considered safe for diabetics to consume. However, the brew should be consumed in moderation without additional sugars, syrups, or creamers that influence blood sugar levels. The best type of coffee for diabetes should be as “healthy” as possible. 

Here’s what to look out for when selecting the best coffee for diabetes:

  • Certified Organic CoffeeOrganic coffee is grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides. This offers a cleaner, healthier brew for your body and mind. 
  • Certified Mold-Free Coffee Coffee that’s free from mycotoxins (from mold and fungus) reduces the strain on the liver and kidneys. It’s also much healthier for diabetics and non-diabetics alike. 
  • Sugar-Free Coffee Diabetics should avoid coffee with added sugar. This shouldn’t be an issue if whole or pre-ground coffee is selected. However, many instant coffee blends contain sugars that can impact blood sugar levels. 
  • Robusta and Arabica Coffee Robusta, arabica or a blend of both coffee beans can be consumed by diabetics. Robusta coffee beans and blends can contain twice as many antioxidants as Arabica coffee varieties, which may be beneficial to diabetics.
  • Roast Level — The roast level of the beans affects the taste and chemical composition of coffee. Light to medium roasts tend to contain more antioxidants than dark roasts. Dark roasts are also naturally higher in sugar. 

How to Choose the Best Coffee for Diabetes

A yellow coffee cup filled with coffee and a spoon of sugar above it

When using coffee as a tool in diabetes management, there’s a lot of information to sift through to find what might work best. In truth, finding the best way to use coffee for your diabetes will involve a little experimentation. Make small changes to the way you consume coffee, and you may see small impacts on your diabetes.

Here’s what to look for when choosing coffee for diabetes:

1. Bean Type

Different types of coffee beans can impact your final brew in many ways. Let's discuss how types of coffee may affect those with diabetes.

  • Robusta — Robusta coffee beans are most notable for their high caffeine content. Robusta has roughly twice the amount of caffeine than arabica. The main benefit of caffeine for diabetic people is that it may stop blood sugar from dropping as dramatically during exercise. Drinking robusta coffee may make exercise more accessible if you're diabetic.
  • Arabica — Arabica beans contain more fat and sugar than robusta beans. However, these natural elements are present in low levels — they’re unlikely to impact a diabetic person. However, if you closely monitor sugar intake, it may be something to bear in mind.
  • Blends — Arabica and robusta blends can be a good way to experience both the increased caffeine of robusta coffee and the complex flavors of arabica. Experiencing the best of both worlds like this can be both simple and delicious.

2. Roast Levels

Roasting coffee to different levels can impact the flavor and chemical composition of the final brew. 

Here’s how roast levels may influence the way a diabetic person consumes the coffee:

A) Light Roast

A light roast coffee typically contains more subtle flavors and aromas. These flavors typically include bright and complex nut and citrus notes, leading to a cup that's often prized by coffee connoisseurs.

The complex flavors of light roast coffee may help you reduce the need for additional sweeteners or flavored syrups. This could help to cut down on sugar and fat in your diet, leading to a general improvement in your approach to health and diabetes management.

B) Medium Roast

A medium roast strikes a great balance between the two ends of the spectrum. A medium roast coffee made by a skilled roaster can include the bright and delicate flavor notes of a light roast alongside the complex sweetness and earthiness of a dark roast.

C) Dark Roast

Dark roast coffee typically has a higher sugar content than light and medium roast coffee. This is because polysaccharide carbohydrates within the beans break down into simple sugars during roasting. These sugars then caramelize, creating a naturally smooth and sweet coffee [7].

The natural sugars of a dark roast are not present in large enough quantities to be an issue for a diabetic person. However, they do bring a smooth sweetness to the final brew. This may prevent people from adding sugar to their coffee — reducing their sugar intake.

3. Organic Growing Practices

Organic growing practices ensure the quality of coffee is high. Since organic practices avoid the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, organic coffee beans are much less likely to contain harmful toxins.

Coffee plants grown organically tend to produce cherries with more complex characteristics — resulting in “tastier” coffee. These complex flavors bring us back to the idea of reducing sugar intake in the diet — if the final flavors of the coffee are more complex, you’re less likely to add sugar or syrup. Reducing sugar intake is essential in managing diabetes.

4. Mold-Free Coffee

Ensuring that your coffee is free from mold is essential if you want to drink a “healthy” cup of coffee. The mycotoxins from coffee mold can have several negative impacts on your health, so it’s wise to avoid them. 

Mycotoxins may cause gastrointestinal problems, immune issues, and respiratory problems. Although these issues aren’t directly related to diabetes, they can cause a steep health decline in people with the disease. 

Make sure you buy coffee from a reputable company that carries out routine mold testing. This will ensure their product is free from mycotoxins and is as healthy as possible for you.

5. Coffee Origin

Where coffee is grown can impact the final brew more than you might expect. The best way to consider this is to think of the central Vietnamese highlands. They’re a great coffee-growing region for many reasons, but the distinct and lengthy growing season is particularly important. The increased altitude allows the coffee plants to mature more slowly, and the dry and rainy seasons set up a clear structure for the farmers to follow to ensure good crops.

Together, those two factors work to ensure that the coffee grown in the region is left to mature for as long as possible without being left for sufficiently long to be damaged by the rainy season.

This delicate growing time allows more flavors to develop in the coffee and for the beans themselves to absorb more nutrients from the fertile soil than they might in a shorter growing season. Therefore, Vietnamese coffee can be uniquely flavorsome and healthful.

How Coffee May Impact Diabetes

Coffee is complex. There are several different chemicals and nutrients in a cup of coffee. These substances can impact many different elements of the body, more so in those with ongoing conditions like diabetes. 

Let’s run through some of the key ways coffee may impact diabetes:

Decreased Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

According to some studies, people who drink three to four cups of coffee a day are less at risk of developing type 2 diabetes [1]. It’s unclear why this is the case because of coffee’s chemical complexity, but the risk has been shown to decrease in several different studies.

One study notes another interesting thing about the relationship between coffee and diabetes — coffee appears to decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes over a short period [1].

Therefore, if you know that you’re at an elevated risk level for developing type 2 diabetes (if you’re overweight, for example), then drinking a little extra coffee could be a wise choice.

Coffee’s Impact on Blood Glucose and Insulin

Insulin helps regulate blood sugar levels, balancing it enough to provide energy without causing a spike or a crash. Black coffee doesn’t seem to impact blood sugar directly. Of course, adding sugar to your coffee would change this.

Contrary to the above statement, some research has shown that caffeine can impact insulin sensitivity [5]. The study found that long-term consumption of high levels of caffeine could make your body less sensitive to insulin. This would be a problem for diabetic people as insulin is the hormone that manages blood sugar.

Other experts have found that the nutrients within coffee, particularly magnesium, may improve insulin sensitivity overall [6]. These nutrients could neutralize the adverse effects of caffeine, though that’s still unknown. 

Drinking coffee in moderation is wise if you have diabetes. You could also opt for decaf. That way, you can get the helpful nutrients without the potential risk of caffeine.

Coffee May Enhance Physical Fitness

When exercising, your body uses the glucose in your blood as a source of energy. That’s the final step of how your food powers your daily life. When engaging in intense physical activity, a diabetic is likely to see a sharp and potentially dangerous drop in their blood sugar levels.

One study found a caffeine supplement may help boost low blood sugar during exercise [3]. So, the blood sugar drop during exercise would be slower, less dramatic, or otherwise more manageable. However, the researchers suggest that the dramatic blood sugar drop may still occur later when the caffeine wears off.

What Can Diabetics Add to Coffee Safely?

Illustration showing a milk carton, butter slices, a coffee mug, coffee beans, and green leaves

The best general advice for diabetes management and coffee is to drink low-caffeine or decaffeinated coffee with little to no additives. This allows you to get coffee's healthful nutrients while avoiding the potential insulin sensitivity. However, some things are safe for diabetes to add to coffee

Let’s take a look at some common additions to coffee and how they may affect your blood sugar:

1. Milk

Adding milk to your coffee in moderation is unlikely to impact your blood sugar or your health in general as a diabetic. However, it’s worth considering what type of milk you may be adding. Some brands of milk add a little sugar, and some milk products (such as condensed milk) contain a lot of added sugar.

You can still safely ingest these options while diabetic. However, it’s a good idea to be aware of these additives before adding them to your cup — this will allow you to plan the rest of your day and any medication you may need to take.

Semi-skimmed milk is the best dairy option for diabetics. Watch out for vegan milks — many contain sugars that aren’t present in regular dairy options. 

2. Butter

Diabetics can safely eat butter in moderation, especially when it’s combined with other food items as part of a balanced diet. However, adding butter to coffee regularly can increase your saturated fat intake, potentially increasing the risk of conditions such as stroke or heart disease.

While adding butter to your coffee as an occasional treat is perfectly fine as part of a balanced diet, people with diabetes should monitor their intake closely.

Related: How to Make Perfect Butter Coffee

3. Sugar Substitutes

It may be obvious, but adding sugar, whether directly or indirectly through syrups and creamers, will raise blood sugar levels. 

To be as safe as possible, either take the coffee with no additions or with a natural sugar alternative.

What Is Diabetes?

Illustration showing red blood cells and white glucose molecules

Diabetes is a condition that causes someone’s blood sugar to be too high or too low. Your body always has some amount of glucose (sugar) dissolved in the blood for you to use as energy in your day-to-day life. Insulin — a hormone naturally found in the body — helps you use the glucose for energy, managing how much stays in your bloodstream.

If you have diabetes, your body has trouble producing insulin, leading to too much glucose in the blood. This is called hyperglycemia — over a long period of time, this can lead to eye, nerve, and kidney damage. In rare cases, it can lead to a condition called diabetic ketoacidosis, which requires hospitalization. 

There are two types of diabetes, and both work slightly differently. Let’s take a look at both:

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder, meaning your immune system gets confused and starts attacking certain cells that produce insulin

To combat this, type 1 diabetics regularly test their blood sugar levels and then inject themselves with insulin when necessary. Through regular testing and injections, diabetic people can manage the disease.

Type 2 Diabetes

The more common type of diabetes — type 2 — is usually caused by diet and lifestyle. It isn’t autoimmune in nature. Instead, it’s often an environmentally caused condition in which the body doesn’t react properly to insulin or doesn’t produce enough insulin.

Doctors usually prescribe people with type 2 diabetes different medications to help the body produce insulin better or interact with its native insulin better. It’s possible that, with time and lifestyle changes, a patient may one day no longer need their medication.

FAQs: The Best Coffee for Diabetics

Now that we’ve covered some important science on the relationship between coffee and diabetes, let’s run through some FAQs on the topic.

1. What Coffee Is Better For Diabetics?

Black coffee is generally considered the best for diabetics. Any sugar, syrups, or other additives are all likely to raise blood sugar, which is best avoided if you have diabetes.

2. What Coffee Won’t Spike Blood Sugar?

While coffee with lots of sugar and creamer will spike blood sugar, plain black coffee shouldn’t see the same spike. Coffee itself doesn’t appear to have a direct impact on blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.

3. Can A Type 2 Diabetic Drink Coffee?

Yes, a type 2 diabetic can safely drink coffee. The important thing to keep an eye on is the amount of sugar and creamer that you may add to your coffee — doing this will definitely spike your blood sugar. Spiking blood sugar in this way can lead to many negative effects.

4. What Should Diabetics Drink In The Morning?

While it’s perfectly safe for a diabetic person to have a cup of coffee first thing in the morning, having a glass of water and a bite to eat should come first. This is because you haven’t eaten or drunk all night, so bringing your body’s glucose level to a sensible level with a balanced breakfast takes precedence over caffeine.

5. What Is the Coffee Trick for Diabetes?

Commonly referred to as the "coffee trick," a study found that those who increase their coffee consumption by more than one cup per day over the course of four years had an 11% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes [1]. Several studies have found this to be true — many diabetes experts agree that drinking a little extra coffee may be helpful if you're predisposed to be a type 2 diabetic.

6. Which Coffee Creamer Is Best for Diabetics?

The primary concern of a diabetic person is typically sugar, so if you’re diabetic, it’s wise to adjust your coffee creamer selection with that in mind. Opt for an unsweetened coffee creamer or an option that’s sweetened with artificial sweeteners instead. It may also be wise to opt for a low- or no-fat creamer because weight gain can lead to increased difficulties managing diabetes.

7. What Is the Best Coffee Sweetener for Diabetics?

When considering different ways to sweeten food and drink, most diabetics should avoid sugar where possible, even in forms like honey or maple syrup. Instead, choose natural sweeteners — they can make food taste sweeter without increasing blood sugar as much as regular sugar would.

References:

  1. Ding, M., Bhupathiraju, S. N., Chen, M., & Hu, F. B. (2014). Caffeinated and Decaffeinated Coffee Consumption and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and a Dose-Response Meta-analysis. Diabetes Care, 37(2), 569. 
  2. Santos, R. M., & Lima, D. R. (2016). Coffee consumption, obesity and type 2 diabetes: a mini-review. European journal of nutrition, 55(4), 1345–1358. 
  3. Zaharieva, D. P., Miadovnik, L. A., Rowan, C. P., Gumieniak, R. J., Jamnik, V. K., & Riddell, M. C. (2016). Effects of acute caffeine supplementation on reducing exercise-associated hypoglycemia in individuals with Type 1 diabetes mellitus. Diabetic medicine : a journal of the British Diabetic Association, 33(4), 488–496. 
  4. Rob M. van Dam, Wilrike J. Pasman, Petra Verhoef; Effects of Coffee Consumption on Fasting Blood Glucose and Insulin Concentrations: Randomized controlled trials in healthy volunteers. Diabetes Care 1 December 2004; 27 (12): 2990–2992. 
  5. Moon, S. M., Joo, M. J., Lee, Y. S., & Kim, M. G. (2021). Effects of Coffee Consumption on Insulin Resistance and Sensitivity: A Meta-Analysis. Nutrients, 13(11), 3976. 
  6. Liu, H., Li, N., Jin, M., Miao, X., Zhang, X., & Zhong, W. (2020). Magnesium supplementation enhances insulin sensitivity and decreases insulin resistance in diabetic rats. Iranian journal of basic medical sciences, 23(8), 990–998. 
  7. Redgwell, R. J., Trovato, V., Curti, D., & Fischer, M. (2002). Effect of roasting on degradation and structural features of polysaccharides in Arabica coffee beans. Carbohydrate research, 337(5), 421–431.