Whether you drink it at home or at a coffee shop, coffee is one of the most popular beverages around the world. While some countries drink more tea than coffee, coffee tops the list of beverages people enjoy sipping. The beauty of coffee is that it’s also almost calorie-free unless you add sugar and cream. For this reason, coffee is also a popular drink among people trying to lose weight. But is coffee really the perfect weight loss beverage? Let’s look at five ways coffee can and can’t work in your favor when you’re trying to shed a few pounds.
Boosting Metabolism
You may have heard that coffee gives your metabolism a subtle boost. That makes sense, as coffee contains caffeine, the world’s most popular stimulant. But does science say that a metabolism boost is enough to reduce body fat?
A study found that an equivalent amount of caffeine, like what you’d get from a strong cup of coffee burned 3-4% more energy over a few hours in people who were both lean and overweight. The results were even more compelling when they took a similar amount of caffeine every 2 hours over a day. They burned 8 to 11% more calories. It added up to around a 150-calorie increase in calorie burn for lean people and 79 extra calories daily for obese subjects.
However, studies show you can develop tolerance to the fat and calorie-burning effects of caffeinated coffee. If you drink it daily, the metabolic benefits may be less. Still, caffeinated coffee has the potential to help you lose weight by modestly boosting your metabolism.
Appetite Suppression
Another way coffee can help you lose weight and reduce body fat is by suppressing your appetite. Some studies show that coffee suppresses appetite. Plus, it boosts an appetite-suppressing hormone called peptide YY (PYY) that dials back your desire to eat. However, like the metabolism-boosting benefits of coffee, the effects are greater in people who don’t drink coffee consistently. You may develop some tolerance to the appetite-suppressing effect of sipping a cup of coffee. And don’t forget that you can undo this benefit by boosting the calorie content with sugar, cream, and coffee syrups. Interestingly, the appetite-suppressing effects of coffee are greater with decaf coffee rather than caffeinated. This suggests that there’s some other component in coffee that may explain this effect.
Increased Fat Oxidation
Coffee consumption has been linked to increased fat oxidation, which is the breakdown of fatty acids. This process is crucial for weight loss as it helps the body use fat stores for energy.
A study published in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism found that consuming coffee before aerobic exercise increased fat oxidation during the workout. This suggests that coffee might enhance the body’s ability to burn fat, particularly when combined with physical activity.
However, it’s crucial to remember that increased fat oxidation doesn’t necessarily equate to significant weight loss. The overall calorie balance (calories consumed vs. calories burned) remains the primary factor in weight management.
Enhanced Physical Performance
Coffee is an ergogenic aid, meaning it improves exercise performance. When you drink 2 cups of coffee before an endurance workout, your workout is likely to feel easier. Plus, you may have modestly improved endurance.
One study that combined 40 different trials found that caffeine improved exercise performance by 12.3%. The greatest boost in performance was for endurance exercise, like running or cycling. Better endurance performance leads to more calories burned and, potentially, more weight loss. But as you know, it’s never that simple. It’s easy to undo a calorie deficit with sugary post-workout snacks.
That’s why coffee substitutes for proper nutrition and rest in supporting athletic performance. Moreover, consuming coffee too close to bedtime can disrupt sleep patterns, which may negatively impact weight loss efforts.
Potential Reduction in Calorie Absorption
Some research suggests that coffee can reduce the absorption of glucose from your gut, thereby reducing the number of calories you absorb.
Some research suggests that coffee may interfere with calorie absorption, particularly from carbohydrates. Chlorogenic acid, an antioxidant compound in coffee, has been shown to reduce glucose absorption from the digestive tract. In one study, 30 overweight people drank either regular coffee or special coffee that contained more chlorogenic acid. The results? Those who drank the supercharged chlorogenic acid coffee lost significantly more weight, 5.4 kilograms versus 1.7 kilograms. Still, in the bigger scheme of things, the impact of this is unlikely to be game-changing. It just gives you an added edge.
Limitations and Considerations
You should also know the limitations of drinking coffee. Some factors that can impact whether it helps you lose weight include:
- Caffeine tolerance: Regular coffee drinkers can become tolerant to caffeine’s effects. So, drinking caffeinated coffee might give you a metabolic boost at first, but the benefits may not be long-lasting if you drink it consistently.
- Individual variations: The effects of coffee can vary significantly between individuals due to genetic factors and overall health status. People metabolize caffeine at varying rates.
- Calorie content: Adding sugar, cream, or flavored syrups to coffee can significantly increase its calorie content. This could negate any weight loss benefits.
- Sleep disruption: Consuming coffee, especially later in the day, can interfere with sleep patterns. Poor sleep can raise cortisol and cause weight gain.
- Potential side effects: Excessive coffee consumption can lead to jitteriness, anxiety, and digestive issues in some individuals.
Conclusion
Coffee could modestly help you if you’re trying to lose weight via the mechanisms discussed above. However, it’s not a magic bullet for weight loss. Instead, see it as a substitute for sugary beverages that add extra calories and inches to your waistline. Enjoy it in moderation and talk to your doctor to ensure drinking coffee is right for you.
References:
- Dulloo AG, Geissler CA, Horton T, Collins A, Miller DS. Normal caffeine consumption: influence on thermogenesis and daily energy expenditure in lean and postobese human volunteers. Am J
- Clin Nutr. 1989 Jan;49(1):44-50. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/49.1.44. PMID: 2912010.
- Thom E. The Effect of Chlorogenic Acid Enriched Coffee on Glucose Absorption in Healthy Volunteers and Its Effect on Body Mass When Used Long-term in Overweight and Obese People. Journal of International Medical Research. 2007;35(6):900-908. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/147323000703500620
- Greenberg, JA & Geliebter, A (2012) Coffee, hunger, and peptide YY. J Am Coll Nutr 31, 160–166.
- Doherty M, Smith PM. Effects of caffeine ingestion on exercise testing: a meta-analysis. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2004 Dec;14(6):626-46. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.14.6.626. PMID: 15657469.
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