Coffee has always been and probably will always be a controversial topic. You will find studies that prove coffee helps with weight loss because of its caffeine content. But then, you will also find studies that prove coffee contributes to weight gain. So what should you believe in?
Most people drink coffee upon waking up in the morning, not knowing its health benefits and solely for its taste. If you’re curious about whether your morning habit is healthy or not, know that drinking coffee actually increases insulin resistance, impairs glucose tolerance, and puts a stop to weight gain.1
The Link Between Weight Gain And Coffee
According to a research by the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, drinking excessive coffee can cause weight gain. Drinking a cup or two of brewed coffee is beneficial to health, but exceeding two cups can cause health-related issues, one of which is weight gain.
Drinking more than the recommended amount can negatively impact the metabolic syndrome, and fats get stored around the waist and stomach.2 3 The polyphenols present in the coffee act as another contributing factor to weight gain.
Adding to this, drinking too much coffee stimulates the secretion of cortisol, a stress hormone that makes you crave for sugary foods that also contain fat. Excessive production of cortisol will deprive you of sleep. And, increased secretion of cortisol and stress, as well as reduced sleep, are factors that are associated with gaining weight.
According to another research, drinking 200 mg of coffee can aggravate anxiety if a person is prone to it and thus disrupts sleep.4 In this case, cortisol production increases, which triggers stress and weight gain. Cortisol stimulates fat storage in your body and eventually increases the insulin level. Making things worse, insulin also plays a part in storing fat in your body’s fat cells.
Habits That Turn Coffee Into A Bad Guy
If you’re drinking black coffee, there’s nothing to worry about because it contains very few calories. However, additives such as creamer, sugar, chocolate, and whipped cream that you put in your coffee can trigger weight gain. With this, the level of cortisol increases and the insulin spikes, making it difficult to lose weight and increasing fat in your body.
Another factor that initiates weight gain is that when you drink too much coffee, you increase the pressure on the liver and make it work harder. This compromises the metabolism of fat and neutralizes toxins, leading to fat accumulation.
How Much Coffee Should You Drink?
Not everyone agrees that coffee is associated with weight gain. In fact, researchers believed that the thermogenic effect of caffeine can boost metabolism and prevent obesity. So, you don’t really need to completely quit drinking coffee. For healthy adults, the recommended amount of caffeine is 400 mg per day, to be taken in two separate doses of 200 mg.
Avoid drinking coffee around your bedtime, or go for decaf. Unroasted green coffee is also recommended as it plays a significant role in regulating your weight with its chlorogenic acid content. In most cases, weight gain happens when excess calories and unbroken fats are stored. But, by drinking green coffee, you break down fats, helping your body function properly.
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