According to a study published in the European Journal of Nutrition, regular coffee consumption is associated with lower levels of body fat and higher skeletal muscle mass, alongside distinct patterns in sex hormones and blood metabolites. Researchers at the University of Oulu analyzed data from 2,264 participants aged 46 to examine how daily coffee intake correlates with metabolic health, finding that these physical and hormonal differences persist even when controlling for body mass index and lifestyle factors.
Coffee Drinkers Show Less Fat and More Muscle Mass Despite Similar BMIs
Participants who consumed more coffee tended to have lower levels of both total body fat and visceral fat—the deep abdominal tissue surrounding internal organs—along with greater skeletal muscle mass. According to ScienceDaily, these distinct physical characteristics appeared even though the study groups shared broadly similar body mass index scores. Dr. JoAnn Manson, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief of the division of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, noted to Inc. that prior research links regular intake of four or five cups daily with lower fat mass and improvements in cardiovascular biomarkers. Finland maintains high coffee consumption rates, averaging roughly 11.8 kilograms, or 26 pounds, per person annually, according to ScienceDaily.
Hormonal Signatures Differ Between Men and Women
The research identified clear differences in sex hormone profiles between male and female participants. Among men, higher coffee intake correlated with a more favorable glucose-insulin profile, elevated concentrations of total and bioavailable testosterone, and higher levels of sex hormone-binding globulin, according to ScienceDaily. For women, the hormonal associations were less extensive, linking higher coffee consumption mainly to increased sex hormone-binding globulin and lower levels of free androgen hormones. Lead study author Luca Verroest, a doctoral researcher at the University of Oulu, stated that a distinct hormonal signature stood out in the findings without disappearing after researchers accounted for body mass index and lifestyle factors.
Did you know? Finland ranks among the world’s highest coffee-consuming countries, averaging approximately 11.8 kilograms (26 pounds) of coffee per person every year, according to data highlighted by ScienceDaily.
Lower Circulating Amino Acids Linked to Metabolic Health
In addition to body composition and hormone findings, the University of Oulu team observed that higher coffee intake was tied to lower circulating concentrations of branched-chain amino acids in both men and women. According to the published paper in the European Journal of Nutrition, chronically elevated levels of these protein-building blocks strongly associate with insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, fatty liver disease, and increased hypertension risk. The researchers described these inverse correlations between coffee intake and circulating branched-chain amino acids as particularly noteworthy given their role in metabolic signaling pathways.
Observational Design Leaves Causality Unproven
Because the study relied on cross-sectional data collected at a single fixed point in time from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966, it remains observational. According to ScienceDaily, the research cannot establish that drinking coffee directly caused the biological differences identified. Verroest emphasized that while millions consume the beverage daily, scientists still know surprisingly little about its exact relationship to metabolism and hormones. Future longitudinal and intervention studies are required to establish causality and identify which specific bioactive compounds out of more than a thousand present in coffee are responsible, according to the research team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the study prove that drinking coffee causes weight loss?
No. According to the University of Oulu researchers, the study is observational and found associations between coffee consumption and leaner body composition, but it cannot prove direct causation.
Were the effects the same for men and women?
No. While both sexes showed lower levels of branched-chain amino acids and body fat, men exhibited more extensive hormonal changes, including higher testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin levels, while women showed weaker hormonal associations focused mainly on sex hormone-binding globulin, according to ScienceDaily.
What did researchers say about branched-chain amino acids?
The study authors noted inverse correlations between coffee intake and circulating branched-chain amino acids, which are protein-building blocks whose chronically elevated levels link to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
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