Coffee has been recognized for centuries to keep us alert and boost our energy but a new Finnish study shows our daily dose could alter our shape more silently as well. A team from the University of Oulu found that heavier coffee drinkers had less overall body fat, less visceral fat and more skeletal muscle mass despite having the same body mass index (BMI) as those who drank less and weighed less. There were also different hormone profile’s based on gender. The data used in the analysis came from 2,264 members of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 aged 46, in what can be said to be one of the heavy coffee-drinking countries in the world.
The Finnish people provide an excellent sample to look at for long-term coffee drinking. The sample groups showed similar BMI between intake groups, yet coffee drinkers exhibited body composition that was leaner overall. Total and abdominal fat, and skeletal muscle tissue mass were A lot lower in people drinking over three cups of coffee per day.
This significant inverse relationship persisted after controlling for confonicg factors like exercise smoking education levels, and alcohol consumption. Metabolic markers provided another piece of evidence. In both sexes, more coffee consumption was related to lower serum levels of branched-chain amino acidstheir elevation over time has already been related to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes risk. The dietary habits of those who drink more coffee seem to be healthier from a metabolic perspective. Hormone patterns were more sex-specific. Among men, higher coffee intake was related to a healthier glucose-insulin profile, higher total and bioavailable testosterone levels, and higher sex hormone-binding globulin.
Free testosterone and free androgen index were slightly lower, consistent with the increase in the binding protein. Among women the hormone picture was more limited, with the strongest associations showing higher sex hormone-binding globulin and lower levels of free androgens. Lead author Luca Verroest observed that the hormone profile persisted even after accounting for BMI and lifestyle factors, and for some measures, the effects clearly differed by sex, “which could indicate that caffeine affects men and women differently”.
Since this is observational, it cannot establish that the coffee itself is responsible for these differences. Heavy coffee drinkers might be different in other ways that have not been considered. But, Truth is the results for body-composition were so consistent and that the patterns of hormones remained even after adjustments suggests that these findings are still interesting.
Coffee is known to have more than 300 biologically active constituents other than caffeine including chlorogenic acids and other antioxidants which are known to modulate energy metabolism and fat storage. To a small degree caffeine can independently increase energy expenditure and lipid oxidation but over many years of regular caffeine consumption this small difference tends to add up. For the average consumer seeking answers, a motivating message rather than a decrees of “musts” is still heartening. No advice from this research would guide someone to gulp additional cups in the name of slimmer bodies or changed hormones. Yet, it is another piece of the puzzle that moderation in drinking is consistent with a well-balanced life. Extended use of the Finnish population in the study simply reflects real-life practice in a healthy drinking culture that’s used coffee for centuries.
