Could Coffee Cause You to Store More Abdominal Fat?

You may need your morning cup of Joe to get you going in the morning, but you’re damaging your waistline in the process. This is according to a new Australian study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, which found that five or more cups of coffee a day increases the amount of fat stored in your abdomen.

However, it’s not just your weight, but your overall wellbeing that you put at risk by getting your caffeine fix; even a “moderate intake” of coffee in the average day was found to lead to health problems such as increased risk of heart disease and diabetes. This finding is surprising, as up until now the evidence has suggested that coffee can actually benefit regular drinkers, helping to lower your chances of a stroke and certain forms of cancer. In fact, the new study set out with the aim of analysing how health-boosting compounds contained in the drink could improve your cardiovascular function.

Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is one of the compounds found in coffee which has been linked to health benefits such as a reduced risk of diabetes, lower blood pressure and even combating fat. However, the researchers came to find that too much coffee, including decaffeinated, could be bad for people’s health. According to Assistant Professor Vance Matthews, of the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research, ‘This study proved the opposite in dosages equivalent to five or six cups of coffee per day.’ He explained that even if you look slim, you may still be in trouble: ‘There’s a lot of people who look quite lean but they have accumulation of fat in certain cells around the organs and in the liver. This could be worsened by drinking too much coffee.’

It is safe to drink coffee in moderation, Professor Matthews said, but drinking too much could damage your wellness. He noted, ‘It seems that the health effects are dose-dependent. A moderate intake of coffee, up to three to four cups a day still seems to decrease the risk of developing diseases such as cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes. Everybody knows about the effects of caffeine, but when we’re considering our lifestyle choices it’s important to remember that compounds such as CGA can have an effect on our health if they aren’t consumed in moderation.’

 

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