Regular coffee consumption may be linked to a healthier body composition, improved metabolic health, and distinct sex hormone patterns, according to a new study from Finland. Previous research has associated coffee intake with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, but the biological mechanisms behind these potential benefits remain unclear.
Researchers at the University of Oulu analyzed health data from 2,264 adults aged 46 who participated in the 1966 Northern Finland Birth Cohort. The study examined how habitual coffee consumption was associated with circulating metabolites, body composition, cardiometabolic risk markers, and sex hormone levels in men and women.
Regular coffee drinkers had less body fat and more muscle
Participants who reported higher coffee consumption generally had lower levels of total body fat and visceral fat, along with greater skeletal muscle mass. These differences were observed even though people with higher and lower coffee intake had similar body mass index (BMI) measurements.
Higher coffee consumption was also associated with lower circulating levels of branched-chain amino acids in both men and women. Persistently elevated levels of these metabolic biomarkers have previously been linked to a greater risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
Coffee consumption was linked to different hormone patterns in men and women
The strongest hormonal associations were observed in men. Higher coffee intake was associated with a more favorable glucose-insulin profile, increased total and bioavailable testosterone, and higher levels of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). At the same time, free testosterone and the free androgen index were slightly lower.
In women, the hormonal associations were less extensive. Greater coffee consumption was mainly linked to higher SHBG levels and lower measures of free androgens.
“Coffee is consumed by millions of people every day, but we still know surprisingly little about how it relates to our metabolism and hormones. What stood out in our findings was the distinct hormonal signature that persisted even after taking into account BMI and lifestyle factors, and some of these associations differed between men and women,” says Luca Veroest, lead author of the study and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oulu.
Hormonal pathways may help explain coffee’s potential health benefits
The findings suggest that changes in sex hormone pathways could help explain some of the previously reported connections between coffee consumption and metabolic health. However, the study was observational, meaning it cannot prove that drinking coffee directly caused the differences in body composition, metabolism, or hormone levels.
Finland provides an especially relevant setting for studying coffee intake. The country is one of the world’s highest coffee-consuming nations, with average annual consumption of approximately 11.8 kilograms (26 pounds) per person.
The researchers say their results provide a foundation for future studies investigating whether coffee itself causes these biological changes and which coffee compounds may be responsible. Scientists are currently exploring these questions in animal models, with the long-term goal of conducting controlled human intervention studies.
More research is needed before these findings can be used to develop specific dietary recommendations about coffee consumption.
The study, “Association of habitual coffee consumption with testosterone and cardiometabolic markers: 1966 Northern Finland Birth Cohort Study,” was published in the European Journal of Nutrition.
Source: www.sciencedaily.com