If you are a regular coffee drinker, you probably feel a certain amount of guilt about it, as you know that it is not very good for your health. A lot of research has been done into the health concerns associated with caffeine, and many studies seem to show that it may have a detrimental effect on your wellness. A new study has now taken a fresh look at chlorogenic acid (CGA), a substance that is found in coffee, and has looked into the effects that this compound may have on your wellbeing.
There have been claims in the past that coffee can cause obesity, but when looked at in more detail it appears that the research was into the CGA chemical rather than coffee itself, and the research was conducted on mice. The rodents in question were fed this chemical as part of their daily diet to see if their weight or glucose regulation was affected. This was part of a study which looked into whether or not there could be a link between this chemical and type 2 diabetes.
Mice that were fed a high fat diet and a supplement of CGA appeared to have a lower ability to regulate their own glucose than those who were simply given a high fat diet, which seems to suggest that consuming CGA can be bad for your health.
Despite this, the study on its own does not support the idea that coffee can cause obesity. The study was conducted on mice, for a start, and the levels were not tested on humans. In addition to this, the mice were fed a high fat diet, so adults who drink coffee alongside a normal, varied diet may not be at any additional risk of ill-health. Although the links to obesity seem fairly spurious, you should bear in mind, however, that excessive coffee consumption can lead to other health problems such as insomnia and irritability.