Light coffee consumption found to be effective against sarcopenia

Researchers at Hallym University College of Medicine in South Korea report that light coffee consumption can help protect against sarcopenia in men, while frequent coffee intake can increase the risk of obesity in women. The researchers reached this conclusion after they had conducted a cross-sectional study on the association between coffee consumption, obesity, and sarcopenia.

• The researchers hypothesized that drinking coffee can help prevent obesity and sarcopenia.
• To test this hypothesis, they examined 6,906 adults aged 40 years old and above enrolled in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2009 to 2010.
• They also measured the body composition of the participants and determined obesity according to body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference.
• Then, they divided the participants into four groups according to their degree of coffee consumption: less than once a day, once a day, twice a day, and three or more times a day.
• The results showed that men who drink coffee at least once a day had a lower risk of sarcopenia compared to those who rarely drink coffee.
• Women who drank coffee three or more times a day were at a higher risk of obesity compared to those who rarely drink coffee.
• These results were published in the journal Nutrition Research.

In conclusion, the findings of the study suggest that men who drink coffee at least once a day tend to have a lower risk of sarcopenia, while women who drink coffee three or more a day were at an increased risk of being obese.

To read more studies on the health benefits of coffee, visit FoodIsMedicine.com.

Journal Reference:

Kim JH, Park YS. LIGHT COFFEE CONSUMPTION IS PROTECTIVE AGAINST SARCOPENIA, BUT FREQUENT COFFEE CONSUMPTION IS ASSOCIATED WITH OBESITY IN KOREAN ADULTS. Nutrition Research. May 2017; 41: 97-102. DOI: 10.1016/j.nutres.2017.04.004