Caffeine may reduce body fat and diabetes risk: study

In a research paper published Tuesday in the scientific journal BMJ Medicinehealth experts from Sweden, Denmark and the UK presented the results of their analysis on how caffeine consumption affects body weight, cardiovascular health and diabetes risk.

The research team used Mendelian randomization – a method of establishing cause and effect by examining genetic evidence – to calculate predicted levels of caffeine in the blood of around 10,000 participants and determine if they were related. to BMI, body fat and type 2 diabetes.

They found that high levels of caffeine in the blood were associated with a lower body mass index (BMI), the measurement used to calculate whether a person was at a healthy weight, and with lower levels of body fat in general.

Caffeine has been associated with improve metabolism and burn fat.

Higher levels of caffeine were also linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, according to the study. The study authors noted that nearly half of the lower diabetes risk came from the apparent caffeine-induced reduction in BMI.

People who are overweight and have a high BMI are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

No strong association was found in the study between caffeine consumption and the risk of heart disease, heart failure or stroke.

The study authors said their paper built on existing studies, one of which found an association between drinking three to five cups of caffeinated coffee a day and a reduced risk of developing a type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, with each cup appearing to reduce diabetes. 7% risk. However, they noted that the nature of these observational studies meant – unlike research using their Mendelian technique – that they could not reliably conclude that caffeine was the cause of the reduced health risks.

While the study authors said they found ‘evidence to support causal associations of higher plasma caffeine concentrations with lower plasma caffeine concentrations’. [obesity levels] and the risk of type 2 diabetes,” they said, further trials were needed to assess whether calorie-free caffeinated beverages might play a role in reducing the risk of developing either.

The study was limited by the fact that the participants were mostly of European descent. African Americans, Hispanics and Latinos and some Pacific Islanders are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Previous research

Previous studies on the health implications of caffeine consumption have produced mixed results.

In 2018Swedish scientists have found that coffee consumption reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, while a study published last year showed that drinking up to three cups of coffee a day had a protective effect on heart health.

However, research published in 2020 found that substances in unfiltered coffee can raise “bad” cholesterol, while connections have also been established between caffeine consumption and anxiety and sleep disorders.

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