Coffee intake tracked with several biological signatures tied to metabolism and sex hormones, including patterns that varied by sex.
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Habitual coffee consumption was associated with differences in body composition, metabolism, and sex hormones, but causation remains unproven.
A daily coffee habit has repeatedly been associated with lower risks of conditions including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, but exactly how coffee might relate to those health differences remains uncertain. Research from Finland now connects habitual coffee consumption with differences in body composition, metabolic markers, and sex hormones, with some of the strongest patterns varying between men and women.
Researchers at the University of Oulu analyzed information from 2,264 people aged 46 who participated in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966. They examined whether regular coffee consumption was associated with metabolites circulating in the blood, cardiometabolic risk markers, and sex hormones.
Higher intake tracks leaner body composition
People who drank more coffee had less total body fat and visceral fat, along with greater skeletal muscle mass, even though their body mass index (BMI) was similar to that of participants who drank less coffee.
Higher coffee consumption was also associated with lower blood levels of branched-chain amino acids in both men and women. When persistently elevated, these biomarkers have previously been associated with insulin resistance and greater risk of type 2 diabetes.
Hormone patterns differ by sex
The clearest differences involving sex hormones appeared among men. Greater coffee consumption was associated with a more favorable glucose–insulin profile, higher total and bioavailable testosterone, and increased concentrations of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). At the same time, free testosterone and the free androgen index were modestly lower. Among women, the hormonal associations were less extensive and primarily involved higher SHBG and lower measures of free androgens.
“Coffee is consumed by millions of people every day, yet we still know surprisingly little about how it relates to our metabolism and hormones. What stood out in our findings was a distinct hormonal signature that didn’t disappear even after we took into account BMI and lifestyle factors, with several of these associations differing between men and women,” says Luca Verroest, lead author of the study and Doctoral Researcher at the University of Oulu.
Associations do not establish cause
The findings raise the possibility that hormonal pathways contribute to the relationship between coffee consumption and metabolic health. However, because the research was observational, it can identify associations but cannot establish cause-and-effect relationships.
The question has particular relevance in Finland, where coffee consumption is among the highest in the world and averages about 11.8 kilograms per person each year.
Researchers are now working to determine whether coffee itself produces these biological differences and, if so, which compounds may be responsible. Those questions are being investigated in animal models, with the longer-term aim of moving toward human intervention studies. More evidence will be required before the findings can be used to shape dietary recommendations.
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