Excess Coffee Intake Linked with Chronic Health Conditions

A new study from Australia has found that excess coffee intake can raise the risk of metabolic syndrome. Also, although drinking coffee in moderation is good, drinking more than 5-6 cups a day can lead to weight gain.

Metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors that increase a person's risk of developing chronic disorders such as diabetes, stroke, coronary heart disease, etc.

The study was conducted by researchers from the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR) and the University of Western Australia's School of Medicine and Pharmacology.

The research team looked into the effects of a coffee-compound called Chlorogenic Acid (CGA) on human health.

"Studies have shown that coffee consumption lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This also included research on decaffeinated coffee, which suggested that the health benefits are from a compound in coffee apart from caffeine... The CGAs were previously known for their health benefits, increasing insulin sensitivity and reducing blood pressure and body fat accumulation," said professor Kevin Croft from the University of WA in a news release.

CGAs are not only present in coffee but also found in tea and some fruits including plums, Croft added.

The team found that the amount of CGAs that are present in about 5-6 cups of coffee made the mice retain fat in their cells. These fat mice also had a higher chance of being glucose intolerant and resistant to insulin.

"It seems that the health effects are dose-dependent. A moderate intake of coffee, up to three to four cups a day still seems to decrease the risk of developing diseases such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes," assistant professor Vance Matthew said in the news release.

Matthew added that while everybody knows about the side-effects of caffeine, people should be aware that even good compounds like CGA can be detrimental to health if consumed in excess.

Also, the study on mice found that CGA doesn't aid in weight loss. "People might be wasting their money if they're buying expensive products like green coffee bean dietary supplements which are currently considered to be amazing weight loss products," Croft added.

The study is published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

How coffee affects human health is a widely debated issue. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine says that coffee consumption can't be linked to risk of heart attacks or stroke, while another study says that coffee is positively related to an increased risk of heart attack. Another study says that coffee consumption is related to a significantly lower incidence of Parkinson's disease (PD).