On average, 400 million cups of coffee are consumed in the United States each day. That is not a surprising statistic when we consider that the average American coffee drinker consumes about three cups of coffee a day. Coffee is so popular due to its stimulating properties that are primarily induced by its caffeine content. A cup of coffee contains approximately 40% caffeine.
The effects of caffeine on our body have always been a topic of great interest, especially regarding weight management. Many people believe that caffeine content can lead to belly fat. This article aims to answer many people’s questions: can caffeine cause belly fat? Continue reading to find out if you should stop drinking your favorite beverage, or not.
Can Caffeine Cause Belly Fat? How It Affects Your Body?
Caffeine is a CNS (central nervous system) stimulant commonly found in tea and coffee. People consume it as a cognitive enhancer to increase their alertness, focus, and productivity. Caffeine in itself is low in calories and drinking black coffee is not known to cause belly fat. On the contrary, drinking black, sugarless coffee is found helpful in losing body fat. It can improve your metabolism, and help to suppress your appetite leading to weight loss.
However, coffee is usually prepared by adding sugar, milk, and other calorie-dense ingredients such as cream and caramel which could be the culprit here. Let’s see some of the additional ingredients generally added to coffee and examine how they can regulate our weight.
- Refined Sugar: Adding a moderate amount of sugar to your coffee might not affect your body weight, but regular and excessive use can lead to a significant difference. Choose alternative options such as raw honey, or organic brown sugar in moderation.
- Milk: Though consuming milk usually does not lead to weight gain, it can increase the overall amount of calories in your coffee. It is best to avoid adding milk. You can substitute it with less calorie-dense options such as almond milk.
- Heavy Cream: For many people, coffee wouldn’t be complete without the topping of a thick heavy layer of cream. Although it adds to your coffee-drinking experience, heavy cream is high in calories and saturated fat. To avoid belly fat, keep your heavy cream consumption to once every week.
- Caramel: Caramel is another popular ingredient usually used in making coffee. Consuming it as a part of a well-balanced diet wouldn’t normally affect your body weight. However, overuse of caramel can lead to weight gain and other health problems.
Though caffeine consumption doesn’t directly lead to belly fat, there is another way that caffeine might influence your food intake. Caffeine is found to elevate cortisol (stress hormone) levels in your body. High cortisol levels can increase your appetite as well as your cravings for junk food, leading to overeating and weight gain. So, if you’re susceptible to stress, it might be wise to moderate your coffee intake.
What Are 5 Negative Effects of Caffeine?
So, we have seen that caffeine usually does not cause belly fat and if you are healthy and you follow a healthy diet and lifestyle, it can have several benefits including increased metabolism, alertness, and energy. But, caffeine overdosing can lead to several side effects, including:
- Trouble sleeping
- Stress, anxiety, and restlessness
- GI issues or heartburn
- Feeling dizzy
- Uneven or rapid heartbeat
Is Cutting Out Caffeine Good For You?
Caffeine is an addictive stimulant, which means that over time you may become dependent on it. This makes quitting caffeine almost impossible for most of the coffee drinkers. However, quitting coffee can have several benefits, such as:
- Lower anxiety levels
- Better sleep quality
- Improved absorption of essential nutrients
- Reverse tooth discoloration over time
- Can restore hormonal balance in women
- May reduce blood pressure levels
- Improve mood stability
- Reduces frequency of headache
- Reduced number of bathroom breaks
- Improves blood flow and enhances skin health
The above-listed changes are commonly found in people who quit caffeine intake after years of regular consumption. Every person is different and each body reacts to changes differently, so your individual experience can differ from others.
Remember that quitting coffee might be harder than you think. Willingness and determination are important, hold yourself accountable and do not shy away from asking for help. A healthcare provider or your friends or family members can help you in many ways. The key is to start slow and gradually work your way up to achieving complete freedom from caffeine dependency.
Conclusion
Caffeine is less in calories and it doesn’t usually lead to belly fat. However, an average coffee drinker in the US drinks about three cups of coffee a day. It usually contains calorie-dense ingredients such as sugar, milk, cream, and caramel. Overconsumption of these added ingredients can lead to weight gain. Additionally, caffeine may lead to higher levels of cortisol (stress hormone) in your body which can induce overeating and thus lead to weight gain.
Though coffee is a well-tolerated beverage, overconsumption can lead to several issues including anxiety, sleeplessness, dizziness, etc. Since caffeine can be addictive, many people find it harder to quit. However, with the proper mindset and a good support system, you can eventually free yourself from caffeine dependency.
