A Swedish-British study published in BMJ Medicine links high levels of caffeine in the blood with a lower BMI and lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
However, the researchers emphasize that their results should not be interpreted as advertising for coffee.
More research is needed in this area before we can conclude anything with certainty, is the message of a press release.
Special method
The comprehensive study is based on data from nearly 10,000 people. The researchers analyzed the large dataset using a relatively new method called Mendelian randomization.
This method takes human genes into account. Specifically, in this case, the research team selected the two gene variations CYP1A2 and AHR, which are associated with lower caffeine metabolism.
In other words, the gene variations mean that the caffeine stays in the body longer than in people who don’t have the genetic variations in question.
According to the researchers, people with the two gene variations drank less coffee on average than others. However, their blood caffeine levels were still higher than in people without the gene variations.
The analysis also found that people with the gene variations had a lower BMI and lower risk of type 2 diabetes than the rest of the population. However, the researchers saw no link between the gene variations and a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease.
The analysis of the beneficial effects of caffeine is consistent with previous studies.
Previous research has also shown that there is a link between a high coffee intake and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and other cardiovascular diseases, the researchers write.
The researchers do point out that there are several uncertainties associated with the study. For example, the research team mainly looked at people of European descent, and only two specific gene variations were considered in their analysis.