Thinking of trying to cut down on your coffee habit? You may want to hold off on that because according to new study on the “Journal of Nutrition,” women who drink more than two cups of coffee a day have lower total body fat than those who drink less.
Researchers from Anglia Ruskin University in England analyzed two years of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to study the relationship between coffee consumption and total body fat. They found women between 20 and 44 who drink between two and three cups of coffee per day had 3.4% less body fat than those who don’t drink coffee regularly. And for women between 45 and 69 who drink more than four cups a day, it was even higher at 4.1% less body fat.
As for how coffee lowers body fat, researchers aren’t sure, but lead study author Dr. Lee Smith says there may be bioactive compounds in coffee – other than caffeine – that regulate weight. But don’t take this as a cue to start pounding coffee as a weight loss tool. Moderation is key and too much caffeine – which for most people is four cups a day – can lead to anxiety, heart palpitations, and raised levels of cortisol, a stress hormone,and no one wants that.
Source: Mind Body Green