Coffee Linked to Leaner Body Composition and Healthier Metabolic Markers
A Finnish study links higher coffee intake with lower body fat and more muscle, along with healthier metabolic markers.
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A Finnish population study has found an interesting link between habitual coffee drinking and body composition. Researchers examined 2,264 adults from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort and found that people who reported drinking more coffee tended to have less total and visceral fat and more skeletal muscle, even though their body mass index was similar. Higher coffee intake was also associated with lower levels of certain branched-chain amino acids that are linked with insulin resistance. Among men, the researchers observed additional associations with glucose and insulin measures and several sex hormones, while the hormone-related findings in women were more limited. The study was observational, meaning it can show that coffee intake and these health markers occur together but cannot prove that coffee caused the differences. The researchers adjusted for several lifestyle factors, including smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, education, and BMI, but they say further research is needed to identify the biological mechanisms and determine whether coffee itself drives the observed changes. The findings add to a growing body of research connecting coffee consumption with various health outcomes, but they do not establish that people should increase their coffee intake for health reasons.
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