New Delhi, Oct 13, 2023: Drinking extra cup of sugar-less coffee can reduce the risk of gaining weight over a four-year period – but beware, adding sugar is a no-no. However, adding “cream or non-dairy coffee whitener” did not have an effect either way, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found it.
Researchers from the Department of Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts, collected data from three group studies. The research zeroed in on the relationship between coffee consumption habits and body weight changes during four-year increments.
Participants in each study – Nurses’ Health Study (1986-2010), the Nurses’ Health Study II (1991-2015) and the Health Professional Follow-up Study (1991-2014) – completed questionnaires about their diets. The researchers examined caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee drinking and whether they had sugar, non-sweeteners or cream. The findings showed that one additional cup of unsweetened coffee per day could produce a decrease of .12 kilograms or .26 pounds over a four-year period.
But, here’s the rub – those who increased their daily intake and also had one teaspoon of sugar with it, ADDED .09 kilograms or .20 pounds over that same period. Not such a sweet outcome, then.
The study also found that those who were overweight or obese and those who were in the younger age bracket benefited more from that extra cup, than those more advanced in years.
Some nutrition experts, according to Fox News Digital, who had no participation in the study, had their own take on the findings. Erin Palinski-Wade, a New Jersey-based dietitian, said: “Increasing intake of a warm, low-to-no calorie beverage may improve body weight, as increasing fluids, especially warm fluids, can improve the feeling of satiety, which may lead to fewer overall calories consumed throughout the day.
However, she warned that adding sugar could negate the benefit of weight loss associated with coffee, as sugar can be a source of extra calories without providing a feeling of satiety. But adding certain creamers/whiteners may have benefits, she added: “Milk and creamer additions can add protein/fat, which may help with satiety.”
But, she also said the study did have some potential limitations: “It is important to remember that these findings show an association and not a causation. Individuals who add sugar to coffee may also be more likely to eat added sugar in other ways throughout the day, which can impact body weight and health.”
Kim Kulp, a registered dietitian-nutrition and owner of the Gut Health Connection in San Francisco said the study shows an association between sweetened coffee and long-term weight gain — but that it was very different from showing a small amount of sugar added to coffee actually causes weight gain.
“A teaspoon of sugar contains 16 calories and only four grams of carbohydrates,” she said. “This tiny increase in calories by itself isn’t likely to cause weight gain, but it may tell us something about those who prefer to start their day with a little sweetness.”
She also noted that there are other associations to take into account apart from adding sugar to coffee, such as whether those people eat more sugar each day than those who don’t, as well as any other diet and lifestyle habits.
