Some people metabolize caffeine faster than others due to genetic differences
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Genetic evidence indicates that high levels of caffeine in a person’s blood may be associated with low body weight.
But Dipender Gill of Imperial College London, who helped with the study, says drinking more coffee should not lead to weight loss.
Caffeine is the most widely used psychoactive substance, and many people consume several cups of coffee or caffeinated soft drinks a day.
A number of studies have previously suggested that caffeine consumption is associated with low body weight. , it was difficult to know whether caffeine caused the effect or whether it was simply correlated.
Gill’s team used a different approach, looking at genetic differences in how quickly people break down caffeine to mimic the effects of different doses given in randomized trials.
There are two genes that affect people’s ability to break down caffeine. This means that people with different variants will have different levels of caffeine in their blood even after consuming the same amount of caffeine.
Gill and his colleagues analyzed data from several previous studies that sequenced the DNA of people and tracked their health. 10,000 people were included.
Although blood samples were not analyzed in this study, previous studies have shown that people who are slow to break down caffeine have, on average, higher caffeine levels in their blood, even though they tend to drink less coffee. shown to be high.
The team found that people who were genetically predisposed to higher caffeine levels had lower body mass index (BMI), a measure of weight for height. Low fat mass; less chance of type 2 diabetes (a condition associated with being overweight).
“We know that caffeine affects metabolism and energy in people. It makes sense that there might be a relationship,” says Benjamin of the University of Bristol, UK, who was also involved in the study. Wolff says
Gill says drinking habits shouldn’t be changed based on these results, and people wanting to lose weight should be extra careful about consuming milk and sugary coffee drinks. is quite high in calories,” he says. “Caffeine can have other detrimental effects, such as affecting sleep and heart function.”
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