The amount of this drink that keeps you slender and lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Higher blood levels of caffeine might help people to stay in shape, plus reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Previous studies have found that drinking coffee leads to weight loss and lowers the odds of diabetes and genetic evidence now supports the findings.
Caffeine has the ability to break down body fat, hence people with higher plasma caffeine concentrations tend to be slimmer and less likely to suffer from diabetes and obesity.
Observational studies suggest that drinking 3 to 5 cups of coffee a day is linked to lower type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease including coronary heart disease and stroke.
A cup of coffee normally has 70 to 150 mg caffeine, making it a very good source of the bitter substance.
However, observational studies can be influenced by other factors so it is hard to say if caffeine alone or together with other compounds in caffeinated foods and drinks have such effects.
The current study used a method involving genetic evidence to find out the effect of caffeine on body fat, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
The results indicate that genetically predicted higher blood levels of caffeine was associated with lower weight and body fat percentage (BMI).
The weight loss from caffeine led to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
Caffeine levels, though, had no strong effect on cardiovascular disease including heart failure, atrial fibrillation, ischaemic heart disease, and stroke.
Caffeine, due to its thermogenic effects, has been shown to improve metabolism, increase fat burning, and control appetite.
For instance, a 100 mg caffeine intake would increase energy expenditure by 100 calories per day which helps towards weight loss.
The authors wrote:
“Our Mendelian randomization finding suggests that caffeine might, at least in part, explain the inverse association between coffee consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes.
Randomized controlled trials are warranted to assess whether non-caloric caffeine containing beverages might play a role in reducing the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.”
The study was published in BMJ Medicine (Larsson et al., 2023).
