Is coffee making you fat?

Sad to break it to you but coffee is making you pile on pounds.

By: Sandhya Raghavan | | Published: January 10, 2018 5:34 pm

It’s probably our worst nightmare: our favourite beverage is making us fat! But can it? That’s not we have heard so far. Heath experts and various studies have been harping about the weight loss benefits of coffee for ages. Here are some science-backed benefits of caffeine. The chlorogenic acid in green coffee and roasted coffee beans is said to aid weight loss by inhibiting the release of glucose and cranking up the metabolic process. While that may be true, we can’t ignore the fact that coffee may indeed be causing weight gain in ways we didn’t think of. Also Read - Caffeine: Is it safe to consume it everyday? Find out

Also Read - World Diabetes Day: Steps to improve metabolism for the prevention of diabetes

Firstly, not everybody fancies a cup of plain black coffee. It is usually had with sugar, milk or cream. That makes the calories of a single cup go from 2 kcal to a whopping 100 kcal. And if you are a frequent caffeinator, you could be adding at least 300-400 kcal to your daily caloric intake. That’s almost 15-20 percent of your daily requirements. So unless you eat very cautiously for the rest of the day (we are guessing that you don’t), all those extra calories are going straight to your waistline. Also Read - Study: Coffee addicts are more sensitive to the smell of coffee

In addition to this, caffeine in the coffee is notorious for releasing the stress hormone cortisol and adrenaline. In moderation, the hormones can save your life by triggering the fight or flight response. But in excess, they lower your immune responses and cause abdominal obesity. Stress hormones also trigger stress eating and make you crave carb-heavy foods.¹ ²

Coffee can also cause episodes of hypoglycaemia where the blood sugar levels starts plummeting. And a common symptom of hypoglycemia is excessive hunger, which will make you crave for calorific, high-carb foods. Caffeine in the coffee also causes adrenal fatigue, a cluster of symptoms, ranging from nervousness, body ache and digestive problems. One of the common symptoms of adrenal fatigue is an expanding waistline.³

Caffeine also doesn’t let you sleep. Constant caffeine-induced sleep deprivation can wreck your metabolism, leading to weight gain. Sleep deprivation can also make you more tired and less motivated to work out and to eat healthy.⁴

These reasons make it quite clear why coffee can be responsible for your weight gain. Technically, a single cup of black coffee contains no calories whatsoever. But since caffeine has the ability to mess up your metabolism so profoundly, that a virtually calorie-free drink can also make you pile on the pounds. In case you want to make the best of your caffeine addiction, hit the gym after you a cupful. Coffee helps mobilise fat cells during a workout, helping you get more out of your workout. Or play it safe, swap coffee and caffeine for these caffeine-free beverages in the morning.

References:

1 Lovallo, W. R., Whitsett, T. L., al Absi, M., Sung, B. H., Vincent, A. S., & Wilson, M. F. (2005). Caffeine Stimulation of Cortisol Secretion Across the Waking Hours in Relation to Caffeine Intake Levels. Psychosomatic Medicine, 67(5), 734 739. http://doi.org/10.1097/01.psy.0000181270.20036.06

2 Lane, J. D., Pieper, C. F., Phillips-Bute, B. G., Bryant, J. E., & Kuhn, C. M. (2002). Caffeine affects cardiovascular and neuroendocrine activation at work and home. Psychosomatic medicine, 64(4), 595-603.

3 Kerr, D., Sherwin, R. S., Pavalkis, F., Fayad, P. B., Sikorski, L., Rife, F., … & During, M. J. (1993). Effect of caffeine on the recognition of and responses to hypoglycemia in humans. Annals of Internal Medicine, 119(8), 799-804.

4 Van Dongen, H., & Kerkhof, G. (2011). Effects of caffeine on sleep and cognition. Human Sleep Cogn Part II: Clin Appl Res, 2, 105.

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Published : January 10, 2018 5:34 pm

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