Caffeine levels in your blood can affect the amount of fat you carry, which can increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
These are the findings of a new study that used genetic markers to establish a definitive link between caffeine levels, BMI, and risk of type 2 diabetes.
The research team, from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, the University of Bristol in the UK, and Imperial College London in the UK, says that caffeine-free drinks can be investigated as ways to help reduce body fat.
The researchers wrote: “High levels of caffeine in blood plasma are associated with lower BMI and higher total body fat.”
“Furthermore, the genetic profile of plasma caffeine levels was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. About half of the effect of caffeine on type 2 diabetes was found to be mediated by BMI reduction.”
The study involved data from less than 10,000 individuals collected from existing sources, focusing on v.genes or near genes known to be related to the speed at which caffeine is broken down. Instead, they have different problems genes – namely CYP1A2 and the gene that controls it, known as AHR – tend to break down caffeine slowly, so that it remains in the blood for a long time. However, they also tend to drink a lot of caffeine.
A method called Mendelian randomization was used for blockingI can have a causal relationship between the presence of diversity, diseases such as diabetes, body weight, and lifestyle.
Although there was a significant correlation between caffeine levels, BMI, and the risk of type 2 diabetes, no relationship was established between the amount of caffeine in the blood and cardiovascular diseases including heart attack, heart failure, and stroke.
Previous research has linked a gradual and relative increase in caffeine consumption to better cardiovascular health and lower BMI, and new research adds more detail to what we already know about the effects of coffee on the body.
It is also important to remember the effects of caffeine on the body not everything is goodmeaning care must be taken in measuring the benefits of drinking alcohol – but the latest research is an important step in assessing the right amount of caffeine.
“Smaller, smaller trials have shown that caffeine consumption improves body weight and fat loss, but the long-term effects of caffeine are unknown,” the researchers wrote.
The team thinks that the relationship shown here may be under the way caffeine increases thermogenesis (heat production) and fat oxidation (turning fat into energy) in the body, both of which play an important role in metabolism.
However, more research will be needed to confirm cause and effect. Although this study involved a large sample, Mendelian randomization is not wrong, and it is possible that some factors are at play that were not counted in this study.
“Given the high consumption of caffeine worldwide, even its modest metabolic effects may have health benefits,” the researchers wrote.
Research has been published in BMJ Medicine.
