Regular coffee consumption is linked to healthier body composition, lower levels of body fat, and increased skeletal muscle mass, according to a study published in the European Journal of Nutrition. Researchers at the University of Oulu examined data from 2,264 adults at age 46 participating in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 to evaluate how habitual coffee intake relates to metabolism, blood metabolites, and sex hormones.
While previous research linked coffee drinking to a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, scientists lacked a clear understanding of the underlying biological mechanisms. The Finnish study found that participants who drank more coffee exhibited distinct metabolic markers and hormone patterns, providing new clues about how the beverage interacts with human physiology.
Body Composition and Metabolic Markers in Coffee Drinkers
Participants who consumed higher amounts of coffee tended to maintain lower levels of total body fat and visceral fat—the deep abdominal fat surrounding internal organs that elevates cardiometabolic risk. These individuals also showed greater skeletal muscle mass. According to the data, these differences emerged even though participants with higher and lower coffee intake shared a similar body mass index (BMI).
Higher coffee consumption also correlated with lower circulating concentrations of branched-chain amino acids in both men and women. When chronically elevated, these specific biomarkers are associated with insulin resistance and an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Luca Verroest, doctoral researcher at the University of Oulu and lead author of the study, noted that a distinct hormonal signature stood out in the findings that persisted even after adjusting for BMI and lifestyle factors.
Hormonal Differences Between Men and Women
The research revealed notable sex-specific variations in hormone patterns associated with coffee intake. In male participants, heavier coffee intake was linked to a healthier glucose-insulin balance, elevated measurements of total and bioavailable testosterone, and increased amounts of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). However, free testosterone and the free androgen index were modestly lower in these male participants.
For women, the hormonal associations appeared less extensive. Higher coffee consumption in female participants was primarily linked to increased SHBG and lower measures of free androgens. Commenting on the broader implications, Dr. JoAnn Manson, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief of the division of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, remarked that the results provide reassuring insights regarding coffee consumption, pointing to its association with beneficial health outcomes and enhanced cardiovascular biomarkers.
Observational Nature and Future Directions
Because the research is observational, investigators emphasized that it cannot establish direct cause and effect. The study demonstrates associations between habitual coffee intake and biological differences but cannot prove that drinking coffee directly caused the changes in body composition or hormone levels.
Finland provides a relevant setting for the research, ranking among the world’s highest coffee-consuming countries with an average annual consumption of approximately 11.8 kilograms, or 26 pounds, per person. Researchers intend to use the findings as a starting point for animal models and future human intervention studies to determine whether coffee itself produces these biological changes and to identify which specific compounds are responsible.
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