People who drink unsweetened coffee every day will slowly lose weight over time, a study suggests.
A Harvard University study found that people who start each day with the popular drink will lose around 0.26 pounds every four years compared to peers who avoid the morning drink.
However, just adding one tablespoon of sugar to your morning drink counteracts the effects.
Coffee has long been the subject of conflicting research. Whereas many studies indicate benefits, a quick Google search will also bring up just as many results that indicate coffee has been associated with an increase in anxiety, sleeplessness or even certain heart conditions.
On the other hand, plenty of studies also support the drink’s benefits. Coffee has minimal calories — coming in at around 2 calories per serving, according to the USDA. Past research has even shown that it can speed up a person’s metabolism and direct the body to burn fat. The caffeine in coffee can also give you a boost during your workouts, compounding the potential weight loss or fat burning impact of your daily exercises.
But the overall nutritional quality has been questioned. Previous studies have linked it to a reduction in the risks of developing Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. However, the caffeine in the drink has also been linked to disrupted sleep — and in-turn can lead to the development of mental health conditions such as anxiety. However, studies have also linked coffee to lower risks of depression.
As a whole, doctors and scientists across the world still do not entirely understand all the benefits and risks of one of the world’s most popular drinks.
While a daily cup of coffee is just a small part of the overall equation that determines a person’s weight and overall health, over time it can make an impact on a person’s weight, the Harvard study found.
Researchers, who published their findings in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, gathered information from three separate long term datasets for their study — the Nurses’ Health Study, Nurses’ Health Study II and Health Professional Follow-up Study. All of the data was collected between 1986 and 2015.
They found that, no matter whether a person drank regular coffee or decaf, it would slowly contribute to weight loss over time.
“An increase in intake of unsweetened caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee was inversely associated with weight gain,” they wrote in the study.
Adding milk or creamer does not inhibit weight loss either, and the addition of low-calorie protein and fat to a person’s drink could even help them stay full for longer.
Researchers found that a person who added a tablespoon of sugar to their coffee would actually gain around a quarter-pound every four years.
Sugar is, in itself, not a major source of weight gain. However, the researchers told Fox that people who add sugar to their coffee daily — compared to those who drink their coffee black — are more likely to make other dietary decisions throughout their day that contribute to weight gain.