Regular Coffee Consumption Linked to Healthier Body Composition and Hormonal Shifts in Finnish Study

Coffee is a globally consumed beverage, with prior research linking it to reduced risks of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. However, the biological mechanisms behind these associations remain poorly understood. New research from Finland indicates that regular coffee consumption may correlate with healthier body composition, favorable metabolic markers, and distinct patterns in sex hormones among men and women.

Researchers at the University of Oulu analyzed data from 2,264 participants aged 46 in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966. They investigated how typical coffee intake related to circulating metabolites, cardiometabolic risk indicators, and sex hormone levels.

Coffee Drinkers Exhibited Improved Body Composition

Individuals consuming more coffee showed lower levels of total and visceral body fat, alongside increased skeletal muscle mass. These differences were notable even when body mass index (BMI) remained similar between high and low coffee consumers. Additionally, higher coffee intake correlated with reduced branched-chain amino acids, biomarkers previously linked to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes when chronically elevated.

Hormonal Associations Differ by Gender

In men, greater coffee consumption was associated with a more favorable glucose-insulin profile, higher total and bioavailable testosterone levels, and elevated sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). However, free testosterone and the free androgen index were modestly decreased. Women showed similar hormonal trends, with increased SHBG and reduced free androgens, though the associations were less pronounced compared to men.

“Coffee is consumed by millions of people daily, 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 and Doctoral Researcher at the University of Oulu.

Potential Hormonal Mechanisms Underpin Health Links

The findings suggest hormonal pathways could help explain previously observed connections between coffee consumption and metabolic health. As an observational study, the research cannot establish causality but provides a foundation for further investigation. Given Finland’s status as a top coffee-consuming nation (averaging 11.8 kg annually per person), the results hold particular relevance. The team intends to explore these mechanisms using animal models and eventually conduct human intervention trials.

Additional research is needed before these findings can inform dietary recommendations.

The study, “Associations of habitual coffee intake with testosterone and cardiometabolic markers: the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 study,” was published in European Journal of Nutrition.

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