Leafy veggies like spinach and kale give you a vitamin B boost. Vitamin B is a part of your cells’ energy-making process.
Guzzle Water
2/10
If you’re feeling droopy, you might need to drink more water. One sign of dehydration is fatigue.
Step Outside
3/10
Not only will a change of scenery and some fresh air wake up your senses, the sun will help regulate your sleep-wake cycle. Try to get at least 30 minutes a day of natural sunlight — an hour if you have insomnia.
Exercise
4/10
Moving your body tells your cells you need more energy. Your body will rise to the task and start making more. Exercise also releases endorphins — the “feel-good” hormones — and gives you a bit of a natural mood boost.
Keep a Routine
5/10
If you go to bed and wake up at the same times every day, your body will learn when it’s time to be alert and when it’s wind-down time.
Aromatherapy
6/10
Certain smells can help jump-start your senses and may help you with focus, energy, and more. To feel more awake, try eucalyptus, lemon, or peppermint.
Pack in the Protein
7/10
Instead of mindless, carb-heavy grazing to help you stay awake, choose foods that include some protein or healthy fat. They’ll stick with you longer and help you avoid a sugar crash.
Take a Break From Screens
8/10
Feeling sleepy may be your eyes’ way of telling you they need a pause from focusing on screens. To avoid eyestrain, look off into the distance and away from your computer or phone regularly as you work.
Power Nap
9/10
Sometimes your body just needs a sleep reset. A 15- to 30-minute shut-eye session can help you feel more alert and improve your mood.
Caffeine can play a role in weight loss, but it’s not a magic bullet. Here’s a breakdown of how it might contribute:
Increased Metabolism:
Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, which can lead to a slight increase in metabolic rate. This means your body burns more calories at rest. Studies suggest a potential increase of 3-11% in metabolic rate, translating to burning an extra 79 calories per day for someone consuming 300mg of caffeine (roughly 2-3 cups of coffee).
Fat Burning:
Caffeine can increase the breakdown of fat cells and release fatty acids into the bloodstream. This doesn’t necessarily guarantee weight loss, but it makes stored fat more available for the body to use as fuel during exercise.
Appetite Suppression:
Caffeine might have a mild appetite-suppressing effect, potentially leading to consuming fewer calories throughout the day.
Improved Performance:
Caffeine can enhance physical performance, allowing you to burn more calories during exercise.
Important Considerations:
Limited Effect: The weight loss effects of caffeine are modest and may decrease over time with regular consumption.
Diet and Exercise Key: Caffeine is most effective for weight loss when combined with a healthy diet and regular exercise.
Individual Sensitivity: People vary in their response to caffeine. Some may experience increased energy and focus, while others might feel jittery or anxious.
Overall:
Caffeine can be a helpful tool for weight loss, but it should be used strategically alongside a healthy diet and exercise routine.
Here are some additional points to remember:
Excessive Caffeine Intake: Consuming too much caffeine can have negative health consequences like anxiety, insomnia, and headaches.
Alternatives: Green tea is another source of caffeine that also contains beneficial antioxidants.
In conclusion, caffeine can provide a slight boost to metabolism, fat burning, and exercise performance, which might contribute to weight loss. However, it’s most effective when combined with a healthy lifestyle.
Leafy veggies like spinach and kale give you a vitamin B boost. Vitamin B is a part of your cells’ energy-making process.
Guzzle Water
2/10
If you’re feeling droopy, you might need to drink more water. One sign of dehydration is fatigue.
Step Outside
3/10
Not only will a change of scenery and some fresh air wake up your senses, the sun will help regulate your sleep-wake cycle. Try to get at least 30 minutes a day of natural sunlight — an hour if you have insomnia.
Exercise
4/10
Moving your body tells your cells you need more energy. Your body will rise to the task and start making more. Exercise also releases endorphins — the “feel-good” hormones — and gives you a bit of a natural mood boost.
Keep a Routine
5/10
If you go to bed and wake up at the same times every day, your body will learn when it’s time to be alert and when it’s wind-down time.
Aromatherapy
6/10
Certain smells can help jump-start your senses and may help you with focus, energy, and more. To feel more awake, try eucalyptus, lemon, or peppermint.
Pack in the Protein
7/10
Instead of mindless, carb-heavy grazing to help you stay awake, choose foods that include some protein or healthy fat. They’ll stick with you longer and help you avoid a sugar crash.
Take a Break From Screens
8/10
Feeling sleepy may be your eyes’ way of telling you they need a pause from focusing on screens. To avoid eyestrain, look off into the distance and away from your computer or phone regularly as you work.
Power Nap
9/10
Sometimes your body just needs a sleep reset. A 15- to 30-minute shut-eye session can help you feel more alert and improve your mood.
Chew Gum
10/10
Some studies show gum chewing can kick up your alertness, help you react faster, and improve your attention and boost productivity during the workday.
Breaking up with coffee is tough, but your teeth, brain, and stomach will thank you.
If you slam a double espresso before work, order a latte as soon as you get to the office, have a soda with lunch, and sip an energy drink as your preworkout—you likely feel wired. You’re not alone in your love of a cup of joe. According to a 2023 study published in European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences, between 80% and 90% of US adults and children have caffeine on a regular basis.1
Still, you’re probably well aware of how bad too much caffeine can make you feel. As SELF previously reported, caffeine can make you jittery and screw with your stomach (the coffee poops are real!). Your sleep schedule might be kind of shitty too.2
You might have reached a point where you’re ready to quit caffeine or, at the very least, cut back on the amount of caffeine you drink. The degree to which you feel better if you quit caffeine depends on how much you’re drinking to begin with, Rachel O’Connor, RD, CDN, an oncology dietician at NewYork-Presbyterian, tells SELF. If you’re consuming over 400 mg of caffeine (about four cups of coffee or two energy shots drinks) per day, that’s considered heavy caffeine use, says O’Connor.
Here are some of the health benefits that you could see if you quit caffeine—some of which you might not have even thought about.
FYI: Before you reap the perks of drinking less coffee, you might feel some gnarly caffeine withdrawal symptoms.
Because caffeine use is pretty common, people might forget that it’s still a drug (a stimulant), and it’s possible to become dependent on it.3 (That often looks like multiple attempts to ditch caffeine without success.4)
“When regular caffeine consumers stop [ingesting it], they often experience withdrawal symptoms for three to seven days,” Jennifer Temple, PhD, a director and researcher at the University at Buffalo specializing in caffeine studies, tells SELF.3
Common withdrawal symptoms include fatigue, headaches, and low energy, says Dr. Temple.3 According to O’Connor, withdrawal symptoms will likely start between 12 and 24 hours after you quit 3 Whether you quit cold turkey or wean yourself off caffeine, grab some OTC headache relief medication.3Staying hydrated and getting enough rest can make withdrawal symptoms easier to handle too.3
Seven benefits of quitting caffeine
1. You could find that your sleep quality and energy are better.
As you know, caffeine likes to steal your sleep—it can shave about 45 minutes off of your time in dreamland.5,6 If you don’t sleep enough, you might compensate the next day by downing some espresso—which creates a vicious cycle of crappy sleep followed by caffeine use, per a 2023 review published in Sleep Medicine Reviews.6 As SELF previously reported, caffeine can stay in your system for hours, so it’s possible to feel the stimulating effects well into the night.
Some signs caffeine is wrecking your sleep include trouble falling asleep (of course), headaches, nausea, and feelings of nervousness. So if you give up caffeine, you could end up getting much better rest, says Dr. Temple. (People with insomnia might find this to be especially helpful, per the Sleep Foundation.)
It’s worth noting that quitting might not feel so great at first. “Someone’s energy levels will drop when they quit caffeine, at least initially,” says O’Connor, so you might feel daytime drowsiness or sluggishness. It’s hard to say if your energy levels will go back to where they were before you started consuming coffee, but if you tend to drink coffee later in the day and decide to quit, you might simply have more energy because you’re getting more sleep at night, as O’Connor explains.
If your sleep schedule seems to be off after quitting (which it might be for a few days or, sometimes, a few weeks), try to wake up at the same time each day to get yourself on a more consistent track. Trouble falling asleep? Try a guided meditation or some simple pre-bedtime tricks for a more restful night.
2. Headaches might be less of a problem for you.
Caffeine can majorly contribute to daily or chronic headaches. It might also trigger migraine in people who are prone to them, according to the American Migraine Foundation. If you struggle with those, you might think going cold turkey will ease your discomfort—but that’s not always true, thanks to caffeine withdrawal, according to O’Connor. This could look like low energy, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and worsening headaches. Because caffeine narrows blood vessels around the brain, “a sudden lack of caffeine, especially when you’re drinking it daily or drinking a lot of it, can trigger a cascade of events that leads to dilated blood vessels which contribute to the headache,” says O’Connor.
In other words, your headaches will likely get worse before they get better. Gradually decreasing your caffeine intake over a week or two, rather than quitting cold turkey, “could help limit some of that severity,” O’Connor says—you could try slowly swapping your regular coffee for decaf.
3. Your caffeine-related jitters might disappear.
Caffeine might not be the best thing for your mental health: It stimulates the nervous system and can cause anxiety, and people diagnosed with panic disorders are especially vulnerable to feeling on edge following caffeine use.7,8,9
“Some people might have anxiety at baseline that’s exacerbated by caffeine, especially when it’s had in excess,” says O’Connor. For those people, she says that caffeine use might cause muscle tremors, a fast heart rate, and nervousness, which can work to make you feel even more anxious.
If you feel jittery after a Dr. Pepper (or three), you might find some relief if you kick the habit, says O’Connor—who also clarifies that how anxious caffeine makes you is different for everyone, so even if your habit is lighter or heavier, individual results here will vary.
4. Your digestive system might thank you.
Coffee poops are a real pain (literally) in the butt. Caffeine stimulates muscle contractions and gut motility in the body, which makes you go number two, says O’Connor: “If someone is really relying on their cup of coffee for a bowel movement, they might notice that they don’t use the bathroom as quickly in the morning [after quitting].”
You might be dealing with a bit of constipation when you first quit. To get things flowing, O’Connor suggests switching to hot water because hot drinks can help smooth muscle relaxation and help out with your bowel movements. You can also try upping your fiber at breakfast. Oatmeal and bananas are good fiber-rich options!
5. If you deal with GERD, your symptoms might ease up.
If you have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which coffee can exacerbate, then you know it’s absolutely no fun. “Certain things may trigger reflux in one person and not in someone else. If caffeine is a known [GERD] trigger for someone, cutting back on it will, of course, be helpful,” says O’Connor.
Keep in mind that your acid reflux might not be caused by caffeine. To figure out if caffeine is really the issue, O’Connor suggests eliminating coffee (or however you get your fix) for a week to see if you feel different. If caffeine is, in fact, causing GERD symptoms, remember that the extent of the relief you’ll experience from GERD symptoms after quitting caffeine is individualized, according to O’Connor.
6. Your teeth might be in better shape.
Caffeine is a diuretic. Not only does that mean caffeine makes you pee more, but it also dries out your mouth, Chrystle Cu, DDS, a dentist at Young Dental Group in California and founder of Cocofloss, tells SELF. Dry mouth (meaning you don’t have enough saliva to keep your mouth moist) isn’t great for your oral health. Saliva not only contains minerals that prevent tooth decay, but it also helps to wash away leftover food from the teeth and gum line—and makes swallowing easier. Too little saliva can cause “an imbalance of the oral microbiome,” says Dr. Cu.10 “Reducing one’s caffeine intake would help in reducing one’s dry mouth, which will translate into a healthier mouth overall.”
If you’re worried about coffee stains, scheduling a routine dental cleaning can help lift some of them from your tooth enamel.11 You can also give whitening toothpaste a shot.
7. You’ll have a chance to create a new morning ritual that’s all your own.
Without your daily dose of caffeine, your mornings might look a little different. That’s not a bad thing: There are a ton of non-caffeinated beverages that you can give a whirl, many of which can feel like a special treat.
See what sparks the most joy: You can try caffeine-free herbal teas, which come in a number of delicious flavors, like Glazed Lemon Loaf, Calm Chamomile, and Organic Baked Cinnamon Apple. Now is your moment to up your smoothie game, too! Fruit “will provide an easily digestible source of carbohydrates to give you a boost of energy,” O’Connor says. Yogurt can help stabilize your blood sugar to help make sure that energy lasts throughout your whole morning. If you’re a soda lover, consider swapping your Sprite for seltzer
You might be ready to retire your Mr. Coffee or 86 yourself from your favorite coffee shop ASAP, but let’s be very real: Quitting caffeine is hard! Cut yourself some slack if you’re struggling. You can always give it another shot—just maybe not one of espresso.
Sleep experts have long known that consuming caffeine or alcohol on their own can harm sleep. Now, new research suggests that these effects may cancel each other out when caffeine and alcohol are both consumed on the same day. Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source
This is the first study to look at how caffeine and alcohol together impact sleep in the real world rather than in a lab. Researchers from the Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors at the University of Washington in Seattle and the Center for Human Sleep Science at the University of California in Berkeley ran the study.
For 42 days, the study followed 17 finance traders in New York City, a group known for consuming large amounts of caffeine and alcohol. Each morning of the study, participants took an online survey with questions about their prior day’s caffeine and alcohol use and their previous night’s sleep.
Caffeine and alcohol consumed on the same day appeared to offset each substance’s expected negative impact on sleep. Lead researcher Frank Song called these results “intriguing,” as the researchers didn’t expect them.
Since caffeine consumption tends to shorten sleep and alcohol tends to result in poor sleep quality, the researchers expected that combining the two would make sleep worse than either on its own. Instead, they found that alcohol consumption may counteract the reduced sleep time usually caused by caffeine. And caffeine may help a person feel more awake after a night of reduced sleep quality caused by alcohol.
This isn’t to say that using caffeine to wake up in the morning and alcohol to fall asleep at night is a healthy choice. While it may help in the short term, the researchers refer to this practice as “self-medication” and caution against using it as a long-term strategy.
Self-medicating in this way may lead to a cycle in which a person needs more caffeine each morning in order to feel alert after poor sleep, then needs more alcohol each evening to balance the day’s caffeine. All the while, a person’s sleep deteriorates due to the effects of both substances, and this poor sleep can harm their overall health.
Leafy veggies like spinach and kale give you a vitamin B boost. Vitamin B is a part of your cells’ energy-making process.
Guzzle Water
2/10
If you’re feeling droopy, you might need to drink more water. One sign of dehydration is fatigue.
Step Outside
3/10
Not only will a change of scenery and some fresh air wake up your senses, the sun will help regulate your sleep-wake cycle. Try to get at least 30 minutes a day of natural sunlight — an hour if you have insomnia.
Exercise
4/10
Moving your body tells your cells you need more energy. Your body will rise to the task and start making more. Exercise also releases endorphins — the “feel-good” hormones — and gives you a bit of a natural mood boost.
Keep a Routine
5/10
If you go to bed and wake up at the same times every day, your body will learn when it’s time to be alert and when it’s wind-down time.
Aromatherapy
6/10
Certain smells can help jump-start your senses and may help you with focus, energy, and more. To feel more awake, try eucalyptus, lemon, or peppermint.
Pack in the Protein
7/10
Instead of mindless, carb-heavy grazing to help you stay awake, choose foods that include some protein or healthy fat. They’ll stick with you longer and help you avoid a sugar crash.
Take a Break From Screens
8/10
Feeling sleepy may be your eyes’ way of telling you they need a pause from focusing on screens. To avoid eyestrain, look off into the distance and away from your computer or phone regularly as you work.
Power Nap
9/10
Sometimes your body just needs a sleep reset. A 15- to 30-minute shut-eye session can help you feel more alert and improve your mood.
Chew Gum
10/10
Some studies show gum chewing can kick up your alertness, help you react faster, and improve your attention and boost productivity during the workday.
Sleep experts have long known that consuming caffeine or alcohol on their own can harm sleep. Now, new research suggests that these effects may cancel each other out when caffeine and alcohol are both consumed on the same day. Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source
This is the first study to look at how caffeine and alcohol together impact sleep in the real world rather than in a lab. Researchers from the Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors at the University of Washington in Seattle and the Center for Human Sleep Science at the University of California in Berkeley ran the study.
For 42 days, the study followed 17 finance traders in New York City, a group known for consuming large amounts of caffeine and alcohol. Each morning of the study, participants took an online survey with questions about their prior day’s caffeine and alcohol use and their previous night’s sleep.
Caffeine and alcohol consumed on the same day appeared to offset each substance’s expected negative impact on sleep. Lead researcher Frank Song called these results “intriguing,” as the researchers didn’t expect them.
Since caffeine consumption tends to shorten sleep and alcohol tends to result in poor sleep quality, the researchers expected that combining the two would make sleep worse than either on its own. Instead, they found that alcohol consumption may counteract the reduced sleep time usually caused by caffeine. And caffeine may help a person feel more awake after a night of reduced sleep quality caused by alcohol.
This isn’t to say that using caffeine to wake up in the morning and alcohol to fall asleep at night is a healthy choice. While it may help in the short term, the researchers refer to this practice as “self-medication” and caution against using it as a long-term strategy.
Self-medicating in this way may lead to a cycle in which a person needs more caffeine each morning in order to feel alert after poor sleep, then needs more alcohol each evening to balance the day’s caffeine. All the while, a person’s sleep deteriorates due to the effects of both substances, and this poor sleep can harm their overall health.
Caffeine boosts your energy and mood and makes you more alert. That can sometimes be helpful, especially in the morning or when you’re trying to work. Though your body doesn’t store it, caffeine can affect you for up to 6 hours after you swallow it. But more is not always better. Too much can push you over the line from alert to jittery and anxious.
Interferes With Sleep
2/11
Too much caffeine can make it hard to nod off when you go to bed at night. Even moderate amounts can cause insomnia in some people, especially if you have it too close to bedtime. The effects may be worse as you age. Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening if you notice it affects your sleep. And remember, it’s not just in tea and coffee. It’s also in chocolate, energy drinks, and other prepackaged foods and drinks.
Raises Heart Rate
3/11
Caffeine is a stimulant and may cause your heart to beat a little faster as it wakes you up. For most folks that’s not a problem. But if you have too much caffeine or you’re overly sensitive, your pulse may go up too much or stay high too long. It may even feel like your heart beats in a weird rhythm, sometimes called heart palpitations. Some people say it feels as if their ticker skips a beat.
Causes a Headache
4/11
If you have caffeine every day, whether in a pill, energy bar, or cup of coffee, you build up tolerance. Then, without your daily dose, you might get a “rebound” headache. It may be worse if you quit caffeine completely and all at once. You’ll find your head will feel better if you reduce caffeine a little at a time.
Makes You Pee
5/11
Caffeine is a diuretic, which means it can make you pee more. Around 300 milligrams of caffeine — the amount in three cups of coffee — is enough to do it if you’re not used to it. Water loss is minor and is unlikely to cause dehydration as long as you are otherwise healthy. The diuretic effect can fade if you get the same regular daily dose of caffeine because you build up tolerance.
Boosts Sports Performance
6/11
If you do “endurance” sports, like running, biking, or swimming, caffeine might help you go faster and with less muscle pain. It seems to work best in a non-liquid form, like a pill, taken about an hour before you exercise so that your body can absorb it completely. Around 200 to 400 milligrams (2 to 4 cups of coffee) should do it. More than that doesn’t seem to help further.
Helps You Recover From a Workout
7/11
Some studies show that caffeine can help your body recover more quickly after hard exercise by making and restocking a stored form of fuel called glycogen. It seems to do this best if you combine it with carbohydrates, like in certain sports gels, sports bars, and drinks. Just take care not to overdo the caffeine, which could have the opposite effect on recovery or performance if it interferes with your sleep.
Raises Blood Pressure
8/11
Though the reason isn’t clear, caffeine can spike your blood pressure for a short while and sometimes over the long term as well. It could be that it blocks a hormone that keeps your arteries wide and pressure down. Or it might cause your body to release more adrenaline, a hormone that raises blood pressure. Talk to your doctor about how much caffeine you can have if you have high blood pressure or heart problems.
Protects Against Disease
9/11
Caffeine seems to help prevent gallstones and inflammation, among other medical problems. Some studies show that regular caffeine might help keep away certain neurological diseases, like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, multiple sclerosis, and epilepsy. More research is needed.
Affects Menopause
10/11
Women pass through menopause around age 50, a phase that brings an end to their monthly cycle. Caffeine can worsen the sudden body heat and sweats, known as hot flashes, that often happen at this time of life. The symptoms can go on for 10 years or more. Your doctor may be able to help you with hormone therapy if they get in the way of your everyday routine.
How Much Caffeine Is Too Much?
11/11
It depends on your weight, diet, medications, and overall health. Up to about 400 milligrams of caffeine a day is OK for most healthy adults. Over 600 milligrams daily is probably too much. But some people are just more sensitive to it. If you notice stomach problems, headaches, muscle twitches, or heart palpitations, it might be time to cut back. Talk to your doctor about how much is safe if you’re pregnant or have heart trouble.
Researchers investigated the effects of a genetic predisposition to high caffeine levels on measures of body fat, type 2 diabetes risk, and cardiovascular risk.
They found that a higher genetic predisposition to higher caffeine levels is linked to reduced body fat and type 2 diabetes risk.
Further studies are needed to confirm the results.
Caffeine is the most consumedTrusted Source psychoactive substance in the world. The main sources of caffeine consumption include coffee, tea, and soft drinks.
Some studiesTrusted Source show that caffeine intake is linked to weight loss and reduced body mass index (BMI) and fat mass. Caffeine intake may thus lower the risk of conditions linked to overweight or obesity, such as type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease.
How much these benefits come from caffeine, however, is unknown. One studyTrusted Source found that the risk for type 2 diabetes decreased by 7% for each additional cup of caffeinated coffee consumed per day, and 6% per cup of decaffeinated coffee.
Understanding more about how caffeine intake influences the development of cardiometabolic conditions could aid the development of dietary strategies to reduce their risk.
Recently, researchers investigated the effect of genetic predisposition to higher caffeine levels in the blood.
They found that a genetic predisposition to higher caffeine levels in the blood is linked to a lower risk for type 2 diabetes.
For the study, the researchers examined data that came from a genome-wide association meta-analysis of 9,876 individuals of mostly European ancestry.
They used the data to examine two common genetic variants — CYP1A2 and AHR genes — in their analysis. These genes slow down caffeine metabolism, meaning that for those carrying the variants, less coffee needs to be drunk in order to have elevated levels of caffeine in their blood, compared to those who metabolize it quickly.
Researchers also collected data on body fat, type 2 diabetes risk, and risk for cardiovascular conditions.
In the end, the researchers found that genetically predicted higher blood levels of caffeine were linked to lower BMI, whole body fat mass, and type 2 diabetes risk.
Through further analysis, they found that 43% of the protective effect of blood levels of caffeine on type 2 diabetes came from weight loss.
They found no strong link between genetically predicted caffeine levels and cardiovascular conditions, including ischemic heart disease, heart failure, and stroke.
When asked how higher caffeine intake may increase weight loss, Dr. Dana Ellis Hunnes, assistant professor at UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, who was not involved in the study, noted that higher caffeine intake increases thermogenesis, or heat production, in the body.
She explained for Medical News Today that “[h]eat production increases calorie burn, and when we burn more calories than we take in, we are more readily able to lose weight and fat.”
Dr. Rohini Manaktala, a cardiologist at Memorial Hermann in Houston, TX, not involved in the study, also told MNT that caffeine causes weight loss by speeding up metabolism.
“This is a dose-dependent process, meaning [that] increasing [the] intake of caffeine […] leads to more fat and calorie burning, which is reflected in weight reduction,” she explained. “Caffeine also inhibits overindulgence in eating by suppressing an individual’s appetite resulting in calorie deficiency which helps in preventing weight gain.”
MNT also spoke with Dr. Mark Guido, an endocrinologist with Novant Health Forsyth Endocrine Consultants in Winston Salem, NC, not involved in the study, to understand how, besides weight loss, caffeine may reduce type 2 diabetes risk.
He said that the science is “mixed” on the topic, but that caffeine may reduce type 2 diabetes risk by altering how the body uses glucose and insulin.
The researchers concluded that higher blood levels of caffeine might lead to weight loss and reduce type 2 diabetes risk.
Dr. Guido noted that the study has significant limitations. He said: “It looked at naturally elevated caffeine levels in people with a certain genetic predisposition, and it does not appear to look at elevated caffeine levels from food or drink. There is a question if these findings would be relevant to increased caffeine levels from food or drink.”
He added that the study only looked at reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes as opposed to how caffeine affects those already with the condition.
Dr. Hunnes noted that the results are “not really causal in nature,” as unlike a randomized controlled clinical that studies the “whole person,” it merely studied the effects of genomes.
“It’s sort of like looking at in vitro — in [a] test tube — issues and making assumptions about how it will react in a person,” she noted.
Dr. Manaktala added: “A more robust randomized control study would be beneficial in studying the true clinical and health effects of caffeine. Moreover, the study participants were of European descent. This makes it challenging to extrapolate study findings to the general population in the U.S.”
Dr. Manaktala called the findings “exciting,” and noted that they mean a “healthy dose” of caffeine may help prevent obesity, a major risk factor for cardiovascular conditions. However, she noted:
“[W]e need to exercise caution before completely accepting the study’s findings and adopting new dietary habits. Most importantly, what we need to remember is that caffeine cannot be a substitute for leading a healthy lifestyle which includes, eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and a moderate intake of carbohydrates/ fats along with daily moderate-intensity physical exercise and careful management of chronic conditions that are risk factors for heart disease.”
Dr. Guido noted that he would not make any different recommendations to his patients based on the study findings.
“I think it is interesting and further studies likely need to be done, but at this time, I don’t think it changes anything regarding recommendations for the prevention of type 2 diabetes,” he said.
“I would not alter caffeine intake based on this study,” he repeated. “It only looked at people with naturally high caffeine, not how much they get from food or drink.”
“We also know that too much caffeine can also have significant harmful effects on health with regard to elevated blood pressure and poor sleep, and in patients who already have type 2 diabetes, caffeine can make their sugars worse,” cautioned Dr. Guido.
Researchers investigated the effects of a genetic predisposition to high caffeine levels on measures of body fat, type 2 diabetes risk, and cardiovascular risk.
They found that a higher genetic predisposition to higher caffeine levels is linked to reduced body fat and type 2 diabetes risk.
Further studies are needed to confirm the results.
Caffeine is the most consumedTrusted Source psychoactive substance in the world. The main sources of caffeine consumption include coffee, tea, and soft drinks.
Some studiesTrusted Source show that caffeine intake is linked to weight loss and reduced body mass index (BMI) and fat mass. Caffeine intake may thus lower the risk of conditions linked to overweight or obesity, such as type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease.
How much these benefits come from caffeine, however, is unknown. One studyTrusted Source found that the risk for type 2 diabetes decreased by 7% for each additional cup of caffeinated coffee consumed per day, and 6% per cup of decaffeinated coffee.
Understanding more about how caffeine intake influences the development of cardiometabolic conditions could aid the development of dietary strategies to reduce their risk.
Recently, researchers investigated the effect of genetic predisposition to higher caffeine levels in the blood.
They found that a genetic predisposition to higher caffeine levels in the blood is linked to a lower risk for type 2 diabetes.
For the study, the researchers examined data that came from a genome-wide association meta-analysis of 9,876 individuals of mostly European ancestry.
They used the data to examine two common genetic variants — CYP1A2 and AHR genes — in their analysis. These genes slow down caffeine metabolism, meaning that for those carrying the variants, less coffee needs to be drunk in order to have elevated levels of caffeine in their blood, compared to those who metabolize it quickly.
Researchers also collected data on body fat, type 2 diabetes risk, and risk for cardiovascular conditions.
In the end, the researchers found that genetically predicted higher blood levels of caffeine were linked to lower BMI, whole body fat mass, and type 2 diabetes risk.
Through further analysis, they found that 43% of the protective effect of blood levels of caffeine on type 2 diabetes came from weight loss.
They found no strong link between genetically predicted caffeine levels and cardiovascular conditions, including ischemic heart disease, heart failure, and stroke.
When asked how higher caffeine intake may increase weight loss, Dr. Dana Ellis Hunnes, assistant professor at UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, who was not involved in the study, noted that higher caffeine intake increases thermogenesis, or heat production, in the body.
She explained for Medical News Today that “[h]eat production increases calorie burn, and when we burn more calories than we take in, we are more readily able to lose weight and fat.”
Dr. Rohini Manaktala, a cardiologist at Memorial Hermann in Houston, TX, not involved in the study, also told MNT that caffeine causes weight loss by speeding up metabolism.
“This is a dose-dependent process, meaning [that] increasing [the] intake of caffeine […] leads to more fat and calorie burning, which is reflected in weight reduction,” she explained. “Caffeine also inhibits overindulgence in eating by suppressing an individual’s appetite resulting in calorie deficiency which helps in preventing weight gain.”
MNT also spoke with Dr. Mark Guido, an endocrinologist with Novant Health Forsyth Endocrine Consultants in Winston Salem, NC, not involved in the study, to understand how, besides weight loss, caffeine may reduce type 2 diabetes risk.
He said that the science is “mixed” on the topic, but that caffeine may reduce type 2 diabetes risk by altering how the body uses glucose and insulin.
The researchers concluded that higher blood levels of caffeine might lead to weight loss and reduce type 2 diabetes risk.
Dr. Guido noted that the study has significant limitations. He said: “It looked at naturally elevated caffeine levels in people with a certain genetic predisposition, and it does not appear to look at elevated caffeine levels from food or drink. There is a question if these findings would be relevant to increased caffeine levels from food or drink.”
He added that the study only looked at reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes as opposed to how caffeine affects those already with the condition.
Dr. Hunnes noted that the results are “not really causal in nature,” as unlike a randomized controlled clinical that studies the “whole person,” it merely studied the effects of genomes.
“It’s sort of like looking at in vitro — in [a] test tube — issues and making assumptions about how it will react in a person,” she noted.
Dr. Manaktala added: “A more robust randomized control study would be beneficial in studying the true clinical and health effects of caffeine. Moreover, the study participants were of European descent. This makes it challenging to extrapolate study findings to the general population in the U.S.”
Dr. Manaktala called the findings “exciting,” and noted that they mean a “healthy dose” of caffeine may help prevent obesity, a major risk factor for cardiovascular conditions. However, she noted:
“[W]e need to exercise caution before completely accepting the study’s findings and adopting new dietary habits. Most importantly, what we need to remember is that caffeine cannot be a substitute for leading a healthy lifestyle which includes, eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and a moderate intake of carbohydrates/ fats along with daily moderate-intensity physical exercise and careful management of chronic conditions that are risk factors for heart disease.”
Dr. Guido noted that he would not make any different recommendations to his patients based on the study findings.
“I think it is interesting and further studies likely need to be done, but at this time, I don’t think it changes anything regarding recommendations for the prevention of type 2 diabetes,” he said.
“I would not alter caffeine intake based on this study,” he repeated. “It only looked at people with naturally high caffeine, not how much they get from food or drink.”
“We also know that too much caffeine can also have significant harmful effects on health with regard to elevated blood pressure and poor sleep, and in patients who already have type 2 diabetes, caffeine can make their sugars worse,” cautioned Dr. Guido.
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