As a nutritionist and coffee lover, I am always looking for ways to justify coffee consumption. Don't get me wrong -- I only drink one or one-and-a-half cups (that's an 8 oz cup, not 16) a day. Too much coffee doesn't just contribute to anxiety, but can lead to high blood pressure and bone loss, since caffeine is a diuretic, causing calcium and mineral loss in our urine. But something so aromatic and stimulating can't be 100% bad either.
So that's why I'm thrilled to share a new study from Colombia University, published in the Journal of Nutrition, Sept. 2010, that found coffee to be helpful in promoting weight loss in overweight men (sorry ladies, nothing for us in this study).
Researchers studied 54 overweight and obese men and women, aged 19-65 for 12 weeks. Participants consumed beverages twice a day either containing compounds (called mannooligosaccharides, or MOS) found in coffee, or without. In men who consumed the MOS beverages, there was a significant reduction in total body volume, total adipose tissue (body fat) and total subcutaneous adipose tissue (fat under the skin).
Past studies have found MOS to help with weight loss for both men and women. But don't go overboard: dehydration from excess caffeine slows down our metabolism, making us more likely to gain weight.
Here's to healthy old habits!
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