New Study: Coffee Drinkers Have Less Fat, More Sex Hormones
A new study adds to the growing research pointing to the numerous health benefits of your morning cup of joe.
The Finnish study found that people who drank more coffee tended to have less body fat, more muscle and healthier metabolic markers — even though their body mass index, or BMI, was similar to that of people who drank less.
Higher coffee consumption was also associated with lower levels of certain amino acids previously linked to insulin resistance and an increased risk for Type 2 diabetes, according to ScienceDaily .
Researchers at the University of Oulu analyzed data from 2,264 adults participating in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966. All were 46 years old, allowing researchers to examine the relationship between coffee consumption and body composition, blood metabolites, cardiometabolic risk markers and sex hormones at the same age.
The research was published in the European Journal of Nutrition .
People who consumed more coffee tended to have less total body fat and visceral fat — the deep abdominal fat surrounding internal organs that is associated with a higher risk of metabolic and cardiovascular disease. They also had more muscle mass, despite having similar BMIs to those who consumed less coffee.
"What stood out in our findings was a distinct hormonal signature that didn't disappear even after we took into account BMI and lifestyle factors, with several of these associations differing between men and women," says Luca Verroest, lead author of the study.
Higher coffee intake was also associated with lower levels of certain amino acids previously linked to insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes. The finding could offer clues about how coffee consumption may be related to metabolic health, although the study did not establish that coffee was responsible for the differences.
The associations also varied by sex. Among men, greater coffee consumption was linked to markers of healthier blood sugar regulation and higher testosterone levels, while women showed fewer hormonal associations.
Dr. JoAnn Manson, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief of the division of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, said the study adds to a growing body of research suggesting potential health benefits from coffee.
"The findings are reassuring about coffee intake, that if anything, it's linked with some favorable effects on health," she told Inc. "Prior research has suggested that regular coffee intake, even four or five cups per day, are associated with lower risk of Type 2 diabetes, with lower fat mass, adiposity, and some improvement in biomarkers for cardiovascular health."
Verroest emphasized that the study was observational. That means it found associations between coffee consumption and metabolic health but cannot prove that drinking coffee caused the differences.
The findings provide a foundation for future research to determine whether coffee itself influences body composition, metabolism and hormone levels — and, if so, which of coffee's many bioactive compounds may be responsible.
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