Can Caffeine Help You Lose Weight? Separating Myths From Facts

Yes, caffeine does help with weight loss along with having other health benefits.

Fact#1: Caffeine present in tea and coffee can help in cutting down the body fat and also reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Fact#2: There are new studies, which show that green and black tea; and coffee helps in weight management along with cutting down the risk of type 2 diabetes. This reduced risk for diabetes majorly is due to the weight and fat loss from the effect of caffeine present in these beverages.  

Fact#3: Caffeine helps in increasing metabolism and also has many health benefits, such as improving concentration and mood and increasing exercise endurance.

Fact#4: However, excessive consumption of caffeine has negative effects too, such as insomnia, anxiety and jitteriness. So, moderation is the key here to avail its benefits for weight loss and other things.

Fact#5: Caffeine is loaded with antioxidants, which have many health benefits. The benefit of caffeine on weight and fat loss leads to many health benefits.

Now let us discuss about caffeine and weight loss in more detail

Along with weight loss, studies have shown that regular consumption of caffeine reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease ⁽¹⁾. This is thought to occur from the fat loss benefit of caffeine as excess weight increases the risk of many diseases including diabetes and heart disease ⁽²⁾.

A genetic method known as called Mendelian randomization was done to understand the specific effects of caffeine on body fat ⁽³⁾.  In this method, the study was focused on two common genetic forms for two genes that were related to the speed at which the consumed caffeine is metabolized by the body.

Participants having the genetic variant related with slower metabolism of caffeine consumed less coffee. However, because of slow metabolization, there were increased levels of caffeine in their blood when compared to participants who metabolized the caffeine more rapidly.

It was also found that individuals who were genetically predisposed to have increased levels of caffeine in their blood had tendency towards a low body fat and body mass index (BMI). Because of this, the risk for type 2 diabetes was also reduced.

The limitation in this study was it was done primarily from participants of European ancestry, so the results may not be applicable to everyone.

Moreover, the study focused only on two genetic variants, which were associated with caffeine metabolism, which also somewhat limits the study.

Caffeine and Weight Loss

Caffeine acts as a thermogenic, which means that it increases the energy expenditure and can be thought of as having a micro-workout ⁽⁴⁾. Caffeine also increases satiety leading to lesser appetite resulting in reduced BMI ⁽⁵⁾.

It is recommended to drink black coffee without any milk or sugar to help with weight loss and weight management and this coupled with regular exercise and healthy eating gives good results.

Other than increasing metabolism, there are many health benefits of caffeine, such as increasing concentration, alertness, mood and enhancing exercise performance ⁽⁶⁾.

However, one should not over-consume caffeine, as it can cause many negative side effects such as palpitations, jitteriness, insomnia, and crankiness ⁽⁷⁾.

According to the FDA, healthy adults can consume up to 400 mg of caffeine in a day, which is roughly equivalent to four or five cups of brewed coffee ⁽⁸⁾. Black and Green tea will have less amount of caffeine per cup when compared to coffee.

The “vehicle” which carries the caffeine

To get the most of the caffeine benefits, the manner in which the caffeine is taken is also important.  Caffeine should not be consumed in the form of beverages which are high in added sugars and fats, as this will cause only harm to the body and will cause weight gain instead of losing it. This is why it is better to take plain black coffee or with very less milk and sugar. Energy drinks, sugar-sweetened sodas or other beverages which also have caffeine in them should be avoided at all costs, as these are detrimental to health.

The timing of caffeine consumption

The time of the day one when consumes caffeine is also important, as if taken later in the afternoon it can impact the quality and quantity of sleep. Caffeine is best taken in the morning and best be avoided past 4 p.m.  

Conclusion

It is a fact that caffeine helps with weight loss and management, which in turn helps in reducing the risk of some diseases. Along with weight loss, caffeine has other benefits also such as improved mood, alertness and concentration.  Caffeine, if taken in excessive quantities, will cause many negative effects, such as insomnia, anxiety and restlessness. It is also important to avoid caffeinated beverages, which are full of sugar and fats, as they will cause increase in weight rather than reducing it.

References:

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