March 17, 2023 – Higher blood caffeine levels could reduce body fat and lower the chance of type 2 diabetes, in line with a new study Published in BMJ Medicine.
Although more research is required, the findings open up recent possibilities regarding the role that non-calorie caffeinated beverages may play in reducing the chance of obesity, diabetes and other diseases.
“Caffeine is associated with affecting metabolism and is commonly consumed in beverages, so it is important to better understand what causal effect it might have on metabolism,” said lead study writer Dipender Gill, PhD, professor of epidemiology at Imperial College London.
“However, we would like to stress that individuals should not change their dietary habits or lifestyle based solely on the results of our study,” he said. “First, further validation in the form of clinical trials is needed. In addition, too much caffeine can also have harmful effects, so a balance is needed.”
Previous studies have found that drinking 3-5 cups of coffee per day is related to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, and drinking 100 milligrams of caffeine per day can increase energy expenditure by about 100 calories per day. An average cup of coffee accommodates about 70-150 milligrams of caffeine.
However, most published research has focused on observational studies that don't prove a cause-and-effect relationship. Many other aspects may play a task, including other ingredients in caffeinated drinks and foods, say lead writer Dr. Susanna C. Larsson of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, and her colleagues.
Katarina Kos, MD, PhD, lecturer in diabetes and obesity on the University of Exeter, UK, agrees. She said that this genetic study “shows associations and potential health benefits for people with certain genes that are responsible for faster [caffeine] … metabolism as a genetic predisposition and potentially a better metabolism.”
“It does not examine or recommend drinking more coffee, which was not the purpose of this research,” she said. opposite the British Science Media CentreKos was not involved in this study.
In the new analysis, researchers examined data from 10,000 people, mostly of European descent, who participated in six long-term studies.
They looked at two specific genetic mutations that have been associated with a slower rate of caffeine metabolism. In general, people with these two common genetic variants have higher levels of caffeine in their blood after consuming coffee or other caffeinated beverages than people with a faster caffeine metabolism.
They then examined how caffeine levels were related to body fat, the risk of type 2 diabetes, and the risk of major heart diseases such as coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure, and irregular heart rhythm.
The two gene variants resulted in “genetically predicted, lifelong, higher plasma caffeine concentrations,” the researchers said, “and were associated with lower body mass index and fat mass, as well as a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.”
In this study, there were no strong associations with a lower risk of developing serious heart disease.
They found that weight loss contributed about 43% to the effect of caffeine on type 2 diabetes risk.
“The finding that higher plasma caffeine levels can reduce body weight and the risk of type 2 diabetes appears to be consistent with what is known about its effects on metabolism,” Gill said. “We are now investigating the broader health effects of caffeine and potential mechanisms that might mediate this.”
The researchers pointed out several limitations, including that they only examined two genetic variants and that the study participants were predominantly of European descent. They also stressed that caution should be used when drawing hasty conclusions or behavioral changes.
Kos agrees. “When considering the consumption of coffee and caffeinated energy drinks, one must be aware of the potentially negative effects that are offset by the excess calories in the form of sugar and fat in many of these beverages,” she noted.
“The option of increasing the consumption of calorie-free caffeinated beverages also still needs to be proven to be beneficial,” says Kos.