Individuals with higher blood caffeine levels have reduced body mass index (BMI) and body fat, resulting in a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
- Drinking 3-5 cups of coffee a day, a rich source of caffeine, is associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease
- Higher genetically predicted blood caffeine levels were found to be connected with reduced BMI, body fat, and lower risk of type 2 diabetes
- Caffeine stimulates metabolism, promotes fat burning, and reduces appetite, which can potentially lower the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes
Potential Impact of Calorie-Free Caffeinated Drinks
The potential impact of calorie-free caffeinated drinks in lowering the risks of obesity and type 2 diabetes is now worth investigating. According to previous studies, drinking 3-5 cups of coffee per day, a rich source of caffeine, is connected with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, write the researchers. A typical cup of coffee has 70-150 mg of caffeine. However, the majority of published research so far has included observational studies, which cannot reliably prove causal effects due to the other potentially relevant elements involved, according to the researchers.Furthermore, they say it's difficult to separate any specific effects of caffeine from the other substances found in caffeinated drinks and meals.
Using Mendelian Randomization to Determine the Impact of Caffeine
To address these concerns, the researchers utilized Mendelian randomization to determine the impact of greater blood caffeine levels on body fat and the long-term risks of type 2 diabetes and severe cardiovascular illnesses (coronary artery disease, stroke, heart failure, and irregular heart rhythm, atrial fibrillation).Individuals who have genetic variations associated with slower caffeine metabolism drink less coffee on average but have higher amounts of caffeine in their blood than people who metabolize it rapidly enough to achieve or maintain the levels required for its stimulating effects.
Caffeine's Positive Effect on Metabolism and Fat Burning
The study's findings revealed that greater genetically predicted blood caffeine levels were connected with reduced body mass index (BMI) and body fat.A decreased risk of type 2 diabetes was also connected with higher genetically predicted blood caffeine levels.
The researchers next employed Mendelian randomization to investigate whether any effect of coffee on type 2 diabetes risk was primarily driven by concurrent weight loss.
Weight loss was found to be responsible for nearly half (43%) of the effect of coffee on type 2 diabetes risk.
There were no significant relationships found between genetically predicted blood caffeine levels and the risk of any of the cardiovascular disease outcomes evaluated.
The researchers acknowledge that their findings had limitations, such as the use of only two genetic variations and the inclusion of only people of European heritage.
Caffeine, on the other hand, is known to stimulate metabolism, promote fat burning, and reduce appetite, they explain. A daily dose of 100 mg has been projected to boost energy expenditure by roughly 100 calories per day, potentially lowering the risk of becoming obese.
“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,” write the researchers.
“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,” they conclude.
Source-Medindia