Key Takeaway:
- Higher coffee and body fat intake were linked to less total and visceral fat and more skeletal muscle mass.
- Coffee consumption was associated with lower levels of certain BCAAs linked to insulin resistance.
- The study found an association, not cause and effect; more research is needed to confirm coffee’s impact on body composition.
A Finnish study published July 16 found that higher habitual coffee intake was associated with less total and visceral fat and more skeletal muscle mass among 2,264 middle-aged adults, although the study did not establish that coffee caused those differences.
Study Finds Leaner Body Composition Among Coffee Drinkers
Researchers from the University of Oulu analyzed data from participants in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966, all of whom were 46 at the time of assessment. The participants included 2,194 coffee consumers and 70 nonconsumers, providing researchers with data to examine the relationship between coffee and body fat.
Coffee intake ranged from one to two cups per day to at least five cups. Researchers compared participants’ body composition, blood markers, lifestyle factors, and hormonal measures.
People in the higher coffee-intake groups had lower body fat percentage, lower fat mass, and less visceral fat, while having greater skeletal muscle mass. BMI, however, was similar across the coffee-consumption groups.
Lead study author Luca Verroest said in a press release that coffee is consumed by millions of people daily, while its relationship with metabolism and hormones remains incompletely understood. He said the findings showed a distinct hormonal pattern that remained after researchers accounted for BMI and lifestyle factors.
Coffee Intake Also Tracks With Metabolic Markers
Higher coffee consumption was also associated with lower circulating levels of three branched-chain amino acids: leucine, isoleucine, and valine. Elevated levels of these amino acids have been associated with insulin resistance and metabolic disease.
The researchers found sex-specific differences in metabolic and hormonal measures. In men, higher coffee intake was associated with a more favorable glucose-insulin profile, while women showed more limited associations with glucose and hormone measures.
The study also found some less favorable associations among men, including higher levels of certain cholesterol-related lipoprotein particles and lower omega-3 fatty acid measures, according to the researchers. These findings show that research on coffee and body fat also needs to consider broader metabolic markers.
Researchers Caution Against Assuming Cause And Effect
The findings come from a cross-sectional analysis, meaning the researchers examined associations at a specific point rather than following participants over time. The study therefore cannot determine whether coffee itself changes body fat or muscle mass.
The researchers said future longitudinal and intervention studies are needed to establish causality and determine which coffee compounds might contribute to the observed coffee and body fat associations.
The study also did not establish how coffee preparation affected the results. The researchers grouped participants according to reported habitual intake rather than controlling for factors such as brewing method or additions to coffee.
The findings suggest that regular coffee consumption is associated with a leaner body composition, but they do not mean that drinking more coffee will directly burn fat or build muscle.
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