Coffee May Help You Lose Fat and Build Muscle
Nour Nour El-Din: For millions of people, the day begins with a cup of coffee in search of energy and focus. However, a recent study suggests that the effects of this popular beverage may extend beyond enhancing alertness. Researchers found that individuals who regularly consume larger quantities of coffee tend to have lower body fat percentages, particularly visceral fat accumulated in the abdominal region, as well as better muscle mass and more favorable metabolic indicators.
The study, published in the *European Journal of Nutrition*, relied on data from more than 2,200 participants collected during follow-ups conducted when they reached the age of 46, as part of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966. The data included coffee consumption rates alongside measurements of body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio, body fat percentage, and muscle mass.
**Less Abdominal Fat Despite Similar Weight**
The results showed that participants who consumed larger amounts of coffee had lower total and visceral fat percentages, along with better skeletal muscle mass, compared to those who did not drink coffee, even when BMI was similar between the two groups. Visceral fat is of particular concern because it accumulates around organs within the abdominal cavity, and high levels are associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and fatty liver disease.
**What Happened to Amino Acids?**
Researchers also found that higher coffee consumption was associated with lower levels of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) in the blood among both men and women. Elevated levels of these amino acids have been linked in previous studies to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. However, researchers emphasize that this finding does not prove that coffee directly lowers these acids; coffee drinkers may differ in other factors associated with better health.
**Notable Effects in Men**
The results revealed additional indicators when the data were analyzed by sex. Among men, higher coffee consumption was associated with better glucose and insulin levels. These findings have attracted researchers’ attention, as previous studies have linked improvements in these indicators to a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. However, these results do not imply that coffee consumption can be relied upon to raise testosterone levels in men. The study did not establish a causal relationship between the two, and this hormonal pattern was not observed to the same extent in women.
**Why Might Coffee Have These Effects?**
One might assume caffeine is responsible, but coffee is far more complex. It contains more than a thousand biologically active compounds, including caffeine, chlorogenic acids, trigonelline, and other phytochemicals. Some of these are believed to influence glucose, fat, and energy metabolism, while caffeine may have a minor effect on appetite and metabolic rate. However, scientists cannot yet pinpoint a single compound responsible for the results observed in this study.
**Not All Cups of Coffee Are Equal**
Simple black coffee differs significantly from sweetened coffee beverages rich in sugar, cream, and flavored syrups, which can contain hundreds of calories. Nutritionist Monique Richard, in comments to *Medical News Today*, stated that coffee should be a limited part of a comprehensive healthy lifestyle, which includes adequate protein and fiber intake, resistance training and physical activity, good sleep, and stress management. Therefore, adding several cups of coffee to an unhealthy diet does not compensate for these fundamental factors, nor does it turn coffee itself into a means of achieving better health.
