Coffee has been a popular health diet for a long time. The daily intake of coffee is a common trend, especially among office workers. Many individuals start their day with a coffee cup, while others take multiple cups throughout the day.
You may be wondering if coffee makes you gain weight. Well, you might not be getting the facts right. Coffee alone will not make you gain weight. In fact, coffee itself can boost weight loss by enhancing appetite control and aiding metabolism.
However, what you are preparing your coffee with can determine whether or not you will gain weight. If you want to minimize the possibility of weight gain by taking coffee, try cutting down the sugar and other high-calorie additives you include in the coffee.
Health Benefits of Coffee
Coffee can be a healthy part of your diet if you are precise about your coffee intake. A cup of healthy-prepared coffee is an excellent way to start your day. Below are some of the health benefits of coffee.
1. Source as Antioxidants
Coffee has a high level of polyphenol and other notable antioxidants beneficial to the body. Some individuals even rely on coffee as the primary source of antioxidants in their system.
2. Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes
Coffee polyphenols, particularly chlorogenic acid, is active against the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the body. These components also deliver other health benefits because of their anti-inflammatory and antihypertensive properties. Studies show that three to four cups of coffee intake daily can reduce the possibility of type 2 diabetes by 25%.
3. Prevention of Disease
Coffee has several active components in preventing disease, particularly Parkinson’s disease. This ability results from its active components, including caffeine, diterpenes, chlorogenic acids, and polyphenols.
Downsides of Unregulated Coffee Intake
The numerous health benefits of coffee are scientifically proven facts. However, unregulated coffee intake can pose certain health risks. Overloading yourself with coffee beyond the recommended 300mg daily caffeine intake might do more harm than good to your body system. In fact, no research has proven the effectiveness and safety of long-term coffee intake.
Some of the downsides of overloading your body with too much coffee include;
- It can adversely affect blood sugar levels.
- It exposes your body cells to the risk of becoming insulin resistant.
- Too much caffeine intake can cause insomnia and restlessness.
- Excessive caffeine intake can lead to loss of appetite and mild headaches.
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Does Coffee Promote Weight Gain?
The thought of coffee leading to weight gain might have crossed your mind before. Well I am here to tell you that the concise answer is NO! Coffee itself and its constituent compounds won’t make you gain weight. In fact, taking a regulated amount of healthy coffee can even promote weight loss.
Black coffee is particularly notable for its ability to speed up weight loss because it contains a remarkable compound called chlorogenic acid. Black coffee itself is very low in calories, and taking it without any additives will facilitate weight loss.
Nevertheless, you need to pay attention to the type of coffee you are taking and its additives. Unregulated intake of coffee, particularly those with fattening additives, can make you gain weight.
How Does Coffee Help With Weight Loss?
Coffee itself will not contribute to your weight gain; instead, it will accelerate your weight loss if you consume it the right way. Below are three proven ways coffee will contribute to healthy weight loss.
1. Coffee Has Limited Calories
One of the techniques explored during weight loss is creating room for a calorie deficit, and coffee can help you achieve this. It achieves this by simultaneously reducing the calorie in your diet and increasing physical activeness.
Adulterated coffee contains a level of calories because of its additives and other ingredients. However, taking black coffee itself without fattening additives like sugar and milk will only deliver a negligible calorie level. The black coffee will create a space for a calorie deficit, and the presence of caffeine will increase physical activeness.
2. Enhancing Metabolism
Coffee has an active ingredient called caffeine, which is notable for boosting metabolism. Caffeine is a natural stimulant that is prevalent in coffee. In fact, coffee has one of the highest levels of caffeine per serving of all notable beverages.
Are you wondering what metabolism is? Metabolism is the rate at which your body takes up and burns calories. Caffeine will stimulate the body to burn out more calories than it takes up. Consequently, if the body burns more calories than it gains, it will inevitably lead to weight loss. This phenomenon explains why most weight loss supplements contain caffeine as one of their major elements.
Interestingly, researches have shown that caffeine can be effective for general maintenance rather than weight loss.
3. Reduction of Appetite
Coffee can help you with weight loss by reducing your cravings for food due to the presence of caffeine. It regulates other factors that influence appetite, including physical activity and hormones. Caffeine acts by lowering the level of hunger hormone (Ghrelin) in your body system.
Overall, starting your day with caffeine will limit the number of calories you consume throughout the day compared to not taking.
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Can Coffee Still Contribute to Weight Gain?
Frankly speaking, coffee itself will not contribute to weight gain, particularly if you take the black coffee without additives. It has low calories that are too negligible to contribute to weight gain.
Nevertheless, unregulated or indiscriminate consumption of coffee can negatively affect body weight. There are two unique ways indiscriminate consumption of coffee will result in weight gain rather than weight loss.
1. Fattening Coffee Additives
As much as coffee will not contribute to weight gain, certain additives like sugar, milk, and other high-fat pairings can counter the effect. The addition of high-sugar content because you want to alter the bitter taste of black coffee might result in weight gain if not properly regulated.
The packaging of many processed coffee beverages come with several fattening components, including some high-fat ingredients like coconut oil. Therefore, if you don’t want to gain weight through coffee consumption, it is best to ensure that all the additives in your packed coffee are not fattening.
2. Disruption of Healthy Sleep Pattern
The caffeine component of coffee is a two-faced sword. It stimulates the body for more activity but will also cause a notable disruption of the healthy sleeping pattern. The stimulant effect of caffeine will block adenosine, which is the body hormone that regulates sleep.
However, coffee might not significantly affect your sleep pattern if you take it in the morning or early in the day. It will only leave a notable effect if taken later in the day.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Effect of Coffee on Body Weight
With the detailed information provided so far in this article, you might have questions on the effect of coffee intake. The answers to some of these questions are few lines away.
When should I drink coffee to lose weight?
It is essential to note that taking coffee at the right time can influence body weight. Research shows that taking coffee before breakfast will help weight loss because of its appetite control ability. Thus, if you purposely take coffee for weight loss, drinking it 3-4 hours before the meal is more appropriate.
Will coffee with milk still help weight loss?
Yes, coffee with milk additives can still help with weight loss. However, you should regulate the quantity of milk you add to your coffee within a healthy limit. Milk contains a high-calorie level, and too much of it might harm the progress of your weight loss.
Is caffeine good for the body?
Caffeine is one of the principal components of coffee, and its consumption is considered safe for the body. Taking a moderate amount of caffeine will not harm your body, but you can avoid it because it is not an essential nutrient for the body. Too much caffeine is addictive, and it can lead to side effects like restlessness, anxiety, and insomnia.
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A Final Word From Energetic Lifestyle
Coffee has been a popular beverage drink for a long time now. Although it has many health benefits because of its component compounds, some questions leave many individuals in doubt. One of these questions is if coffee will influence weight gain.
However, the indications are clear. Black coffee itself will not make you gain weight. The only scenario where coffee can make you gain weight is if it includes high-calorie or fattening additives. Therefore, coffee intake is a two-faced sword, and your attitude towards its consumption is one of the major determinants of its resultant effects.
