Does Coffee Make You Gain Weight? Real Facts And Benefits

Know Your Ingredient: Coffee

What Is It?
A popular, dark, bitter beverage made from roasted and grounded beans of the coffee plant.

What Are Its Benefits?
Reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, stroke, certain cancers, and heart disease to an extent.

Who Can Use It?
Except for individuals with severe anxiety disorders, anyone over the age of 12 can consume coffee in moderation.

How Often?
2-4 cups (up to 400 mg) is the daily recommended limit. Pregnant and breastfeeding individuals must limit it to 200 mg.

Caution
Overconsumption may lead to severe headaches. In rare cases, it can cause ventricular fibrillation wherein the lower chambers of the heart vibrate rapidly, causing a cardiac arrest.

Does Coffee Make You Gain Weight? Here Is What You Need To Know

Yes, excess coffee intake may lead to weight gain. This is primarily due to its caffeine content. An average person consumes about 300 mg of caffeine every day, mainly through coffee, chocolate, soft drinks, tea, and energy drinks (1).

This caffeine intake keeps increasing with bigger servings and stronger roasts. Studies show that acute caffeine intake may increase blood sugar levels and prolong the period of the increased sugar levels (2). Increased blood sugar can also increase insulin levels and cortisolⁱ  XThis stress hormone increases glucose uptake by the brain, blood sugar levels, and the supply of substances that promote tissue repair. levels, resulting in low metabolic activity and weight gain.

Insulin is the hormone that regulates carbohydrates and fat metabolism in your body (3). Elevated levels of insulin can make the cells less sensitive to its signals (insulin resistance). It is important for the cells to be insulin sensitive if you want to lose weight or prevent the accumulation of calories. Coffee can reduce insulin sensitivity, cause weight gain, and increase diabetes risk.

But does this mean you must give up on coffee to lose weight? Let us understand.

Do You Need To Stop Drinking Coffee To Lose Weight?

No. Drinking coffee is fine as long as you don’t over consume it. Limit its intake to about 2 to 3 cups a day along with a balanced diet for proper nutrition. Excess coffee intake can stall your weight loss journey. Read on to understand how.

Why Drinking Too Much Caffeine Can Stall Weight Loss

How the body responds to caffeine depends on one’s health, body mass, and metabolism. Every person metabolizes caffeine at a different rate.

Individuals with faster metabolism absorb the antioxidants in coffee quickly and get it out of the system. But those with slow metabolism hold the caffeine in the system for longer. This can elevate blood sugar levels and may increase abdominal fat.

However, regardless of how fast or slow your body metabolizes caffeine, too much coffee can derail your weight loss goals.

Besides caffeine, the other ingredients in your coffee could also lead to weight gain. In the next section, we will explore these ingredients and the other reasons your coffee could be making you gain weight.

Reasons Your Coffee Is Making You Gain Weight

• Sugar Syrups And Add-Ins

Relishing coffee with excess sugar syrup or any other sweet ingredient can add more calories

• Larger Serving

A large coffee serving loaded with sweet ingredients can cause weight gain if consumed every day.

• Whipped Cream

Whipped cream can enhance the coffee’s taste, but it also increases calories.

• Sweetened Milk

Coffee enriched with almond milk, oat milk, etc. is high in sugar. In addition, flavored milk may contain added sugar.

• Bottled Coffee

Bottle coffee may be a convenient option to enjoy a quick drink, but it is loaded with sugar.

• Full-Fat Milk And Sugar

Coffee made with full-fat milk and sugar is way higher in calories.

Note: Not just sugars, even the amount of caffeine intake may affect your weight loss efforts.

Quick Tip

To cut back on sugar while adding flavor to your coffee, sprinkle cinnamon powder, unsweetened soy milk, coconut milk, and a few drops of vanilla essence. You may also melt in a tiny square of dark chocolate.

Upper Limits: The Ideal Dose Of Caffeine In Weight Loss

Research suggests that 400 mg or less of caffeine per day is an acceptable dose for healthy adults (4). One serving (180 ml) of brewed coffee normally contains about 100 mg of caffeine (5). You may want to keep those values in mind before picking your next cup of coffee.

Benefits Of Drinking Coffee

Studies suggest that regular coffee drinkers have a lower risk of developing type-2 diabetes (6). Moreover, its caffeine content stimulates the nervous system besides increasing adrenaline and cortisol levels in the body (7), (8), (9).

Consuming caffeine in low doses may also help refresh your senses, reduce anxiety, and elevate mood (10). The polyphenols present in coffee have antioxidant properties. These plant compounds may reduce inflammation and oxidative stressⁱ  XAn unbalanced ratio of antioxidants and free radicals in the body, which increases the risk of heart disease and cancer. — the two factors which are responsible for causing many ailments, including obesity (11), (12).

Studies indicate that long-term coffee intake may reduce the risk of stroke (modestly), heart disease, and certain cancers (13), (14), (15). Besides, this beverage is also known to lower estrogen levels, which may help reduce the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women (16).

Coffee intake is also associated with a reduced risk of gallstones in your body (17). Besides, studies suggest that caffeine may also reduce the incidence of Parkinson’s diseaseⁱ  XA chronic disorder in which parts of the brain are damaged, affecting the nervous system and the body parts controlled by the nerves. in healthy individuals. It may also slow down the progression of motor symptoms in those already affected (18). Research also reveals that higher coffee intake may reduce the risk of all-cause mortality. Similarly, drinking coffee moderately (3 cups/day) may also decrease the risk of CVD mortality (19).

Fun Fact

The largest cup of coffee ever prepared had a capacity of 22,739.14 liters and was mentioned in the Guinness Book of World Records on June 15, 2019 (20).

Infographic: Which Coffee Drink Is Right For Me?

Coffee is a popular drink that can help energize your mornings. It is packed with caffeine and other beneficial compounds that can boost your health.

Coffee can be brewed in different ways based on the type of beans used and the ingredients added to the beverage. Take a look at the infographic below to learn how the top coffee varieties are made and choose the one that’s right for you.

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Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does cold coffee increase weight?

Yes. Excess consumption of cold coffee may increase weight, as cold coffee may contain cream, sugar, caffeine, and other ingredients, which may contribute to weight gain.

Does coffee make you gain water weight?

No, coffee does not make you gain water weight.

Will coffee creamer make me gain weight?

Yes. Excessive consumption of coffee creamer may make you gain weight.

Curious about how coffee affects your weight? Watch this video to learn 3 reasons why coffee can cause weight gain and how you can quit drinking coffee. Go, check it now!

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Garima SinghMSc (Nutrition), DNHE, DDHN

   

Garima Singh is a certified nutritionist and dietitian with over 7 years of experience. She provides both in-office and virtual consultations and works with individuals, groups, offices, and schools. She has a passion for cooking foods in a way to make them healthy as well as palatable. Her services include diet plans, health counseling, and workouts.more

Ravi Teja TadimallaSenior Editor

 

Ravi Teja Tadimalla is a senior editor and a published author. He has been in the digital media field for over eight years. He graduated from SRM University, Chennai, and has a Professional Certificate in Food, Nutrition & Research from Wageningen University. He has written over 300 articles about ingredients and their benefits for the skin, hair, and health. He...more

Arshiya SyedaSenior Editor

Arshiya Syeda is a senior editor at StyleCraze with 7 years of experience. Prior to that, she was a content writer and combined her writing and research skills to write over 200 high-performing articles on hairstyles, hair care, and skin care. She holds a bachelor's degree in literature and psychology from Osmania University, Hyderabad, and a post-graduate diploma in psychological...more

Aparna MallampalliHealth & Wellness Writer

Aparna is a professor-turned-content writer with over 5 years of experience in life sciences. Her passion for writing and interest in the healthcare and wellness industry pushed her toward a career in content writing. She has a master’s degree in microbiology from Osmania University, Hyderabad, and a diploma in nutrition from Fab Academy. She aims to use her knowledge of...more