March 07, 2024
Craig Melville/Pixabay
Coffee stimulates the central nervous system, which can increase metabolism and break down fat cells, the study found.
Score one for coffee lovers. Your favorite morning beverage might have some additional health benefits.
A new study published in BMC Medicine found that caffeine could help lower the risk of obesity and reduce inflammation and degeneration in the joints. These effects mostly come from long-term consumption and are dependent on how much is consumed compared with metabolism rates.
Th research is focused on circulation of caffeine within the body, rather than intake amounts.
Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and increases metabolism, which can promote fat cell breakdown, the study said. Plus, it can increase endurance in exercising and works as an appetite suppressant, so coffee drinkers could be burning more calories and consuming less of them. Thus, drinking coffee (or other forms of caffeine like matcha or tea) over a long period of time can lower the risk of obesity.
At the same time, caffeine was found to be anti-inflammatory, lowering the risk of osteoarthrosis and osteoarthritis. Inflammation can progress joint diseases, so increased caffeine levels can be protective against arthritis.
However, not all consumption is created equal in coffee drinkers. Researchers noted that increased coffee intake doesn't directly link to these benefits. The correlation actually comes from the level of caffeine in the bloodstream as caffeine binds to plasma proteins.
So, someone with a low metabolism who drinks less coffee could have the same effects as someone with a high metabolism who drinks more coffee.
"Caffeine is one of the most utilized drugs in the world, yet its clinical effects are not fully understood," authors wrote. "Circulating caffeine levels are influenced by the interplay between consumption behaviour and metabolism."
