Love your morning coffee, but don’t know what it’s doing to your body? There’s serious debate as to whether coffee is beneficial for our health. Some research suggests coffee may aid with weight loss, given caffeine increases metabolism and stimulates fat burning. The scientific community however, remains divided, while some studies reporting caffeine causes sleep disturbances, heightens blood pressure and leads to dehydration.
For more detail on the pros and cons of coffee consumption, read on.
Caffeine can enhance exercise performance
Coffee is a stimulant that can aid reaction time, alertness, and focus. Caffeine is said to stimulate the nervous system by sending signals to break down fat cells through the release of adrenaline. However, the release of fatty acids does not help you lose weight unless you are burning more calories through exercise.1
Further evidence suggests caffeine intake improves exercise performance. In fact, according to one study by The American journal of clinical nutrition, caffeinated coffee was found to increase energy expenditure by 16 per cent over a two hour period compared with decaffeinated coffee.2
Caffeine can increase your metabolism
Coffee contains substances that can affect your metabolism. Caffeine has been shown to increase metabolic rate, meaning you will burn more calories at rest. In addition, coffee is linked to an increase in thermogenesis, the body’s natural process of heat production. This rise in thermogenesis can contribute to calorie burning and weight loss, as the body requires more energy to produce heat.
The downside of coffee
As much as we love grabbing our morning coffee, there can be too much of a good thing, given coffee:
- has been shown to pose a risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) due to its acute ability to increase blood pressure.3 An increase in heart rate can also lead to jitters, anxiety, and restlessness.
- can cause significant sleep disturbances which are, in turn, linked to hormonal imbalance, which can increase hunger cues and over-eating.4
- is a diuretic (causes dehydration). Ensuring you are sufficiently re hydrating (with water) is crucial for coffee lovers.
Evidently, when considering the benefits of caffeine, the jury is out. While research reveals coffee has a diverse impact on weight loss, various factors such as obesity, diet, age, sex, and hormones can all influence the way your body responds to caffeine.5 Importantly, adding sugar, cream, or high calorie ingredients to your morning coffee (such as a muffin or bagel), can undo any benefits, and contribute to weight gain.
In summary, coffee should be consumed in moderation. Coffee intake is clearly not a magic solution to weight loss, and should accompany a balanced diet and daily.
References.
1 Van Dijk, A. E. et al. Acute effects of decaffeinated coffee and the major coffee components chlorogenic acid and trigonelline on glucose tolerance. Diabetes care 32, 1023-1025 (2009).
2 Hollands, M. A., Arch, J. & Cawthorne, M. A simple apparatus for comparative measurements of energy expenditure in human subjects: the thermic effect of caffeine. The American journal of clinical nutrition 34, 2291-2294 (1981).
3 Greenberg, J. A., Boozer, C. N. & Geliebter, A. Coffee, diabetes, and weight control. The American journal of clinical nutrition 84, 682-693 (2006).
4 Drake, C., Roehrs, T., Shambroom, J. & Roth, T. Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine 9, 1195-1200 (2013).
5 Nehlig, A. Interindividual differences in caffeine metabolism and factors driving caffeine consumption. Pharmacological reviews 70, 384-411 (2018).