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Studies have shown that caffeine, found in coffee, green tea, and chocolate, can lower body fat and reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
A research team led by Susanna Larsson, associate professor of nutritional epidemiology at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, published the results of a study on ‘the effect of caffeine concentration in blood on body fat and the incidence of type 2 diabetes’ in the international journal ‘British Medical Journal (BMJ) Medicine’ on the 14th (local time). did.
A cup of coffee contains an average of about 70 to 150 mg of caffeine. Caffeine is known to boost metabolism, increase fat burning and reduce appetite. In the meantime, various studies have been conducted on the effects of caffeine on health, but most of the existing studies have been observational studies and have limitations in that it is difficult to separate the specific effects of caffeine from other compounds contained in caffeinated beverages and foods.
Using two genetic variants, CYP1A2 and AHR, which are involved in the rate of caffeine metabolism in the body, the research team took about 10,000 people of European descent to investigate the effects of prolonged exposure to high caffeine concentrations on body fat loss and the development of type 2 diabetes. influence was investigated.
In general, people with genetic mutations that metabolize caffeine slowly drink less coffee on average, but because of their slower metabolism, they have higher levels of caffeine in their blood than people who metabolize caffeine quickly. The researchers estimated that people with genetic mutations that make caffeine metabolize slower would, on average, be exposed to higher levels of caffeine over their lifetime.
The study found that higher levels of caffeine in the blood were associated with a lower body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage, as well as a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. “It is estimated that consuming 100 mg of caffeine per day increases energy consumption by about 100 calories and consequently prevents obesity,” said the research team. “he said.
Katarina Koss, senior lecturer in diabetes and obesity at the University of Exeter, UK, told The Guardian about the findings, saying, “The research suggests that people with higher levels of caffeine in the blood may benefit from weight and body fat management, but it is not necessary to drink coffee. “I’m not recommending that you drink more,” he said. “Caffeinated beverages loaded with sugar and fat can offset the positive effects.”