Photo credit: the Irish Times
The findings of a 2023 study have shown that the levels of caffeine in your blood may affect the amount of body fat you carry, a factor that could, in turn, determine your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Science Alert reports that the study used genetic markers to establish a more definitive link between caffeine levels, BMI, and type 2 diabetes risk.
The research team from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, the University of Bristol in the UK, and Imperial College London in the UK said calorie-free caffeinated drinks could be explored to reduce body fat levels.
In their paper, published in March 2023, the researchers wrote that ” genetically predicted higher plasma caffeine concentration were associated with lower BMI and whole body fat mass.
“Furthermore, genetically predicted higher plasma caffeine concentrations were associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Approximately half of the effect of caffeine on type 2 diabetes liability was estimated to be mediated through BMI reduction.”
The study involved data from just under 10,000 people collected from existing genetic databases, focusing on variations in or near specific genes associated with the speed at which caffeine is broken down.
In general, those with variations affecting the genes – namely CYP1A2 and a gene that regulates it, called AHR – tend to break caffeine down more slowly, allowing it to remain in the blood longer. Yet, they also tend to drink less caffeine in general.
While there was a significant link between caffeine levels, BMI, and type 2 diabetes risk, no relationship emerged between the amount of caffeine in the blood and cardiovascular diseases, including atrial fibrillation, heart failure, and stroke.
It’s important to note that caffeine’s effects on the body aren’t all positive. This means care must be taken when weighing up the benefits of drinking it.
The researchers explained, “Small, short-term trials have shown that caffeine intake results in weight and fat mass reduction, but the long-term effects of caffeine intake are unknown.”
