How Coffee Affects Our Metabolism?
Drinking a cup of coffee every morning does more than just fuel your energy, uplift your mood, and even lower the risk of getting diabetes. Many studies have shown that people who drink coffee tend to have a lower risk of developing various diseases than those who do not drink coffee. Possible benefits include reducing the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and certain types of cancer. Did you know about other properties of this magic drink? For example, its effect on metabolism. Let’s find out about it together.
What does a cup of coffee consist of?
Many of the biologically active substances found in coffee beans end up in your drink and some of them affect your metabolism:
Caffeine: The main stimulant in coffee. It works by blocking adenosine, increasing the activity of neurons, and releasing dopamine, which makes us feel energized.
Chlorogenic acid: One of the main substances that can slow down the absorption of carbohydrates.
Theophylline: Another stimulant found in both cocoa and coffee, which has been used to treat asthma.
Caffeine stimulates your nervous system, which sends direct signals to fat cells, telling them to break down fat. This is achieved with the help of the adrenaline. It passes through our blood to the adipose tissues, giving a signal to break down fats and send them into the blood. Of course, releasing fatty acids into your blood won’t help you lose fat if you consume more calories than you spend.
Coffee can increase your metabolic rate
This is the rate at which your body burns calories at rest. The higher your metabolic rate, the easier it is for you to lose weight and the more you can eat without putting on weight. Studies have shown that caffeine can increase speed by up to 10%. Unfortunately, the effect is seen in those who are not obese.
For example, in a slim person, the metabolic rate with the help of caffeine can increase by 10-11%, but in a person with obesity by only 4%.
The perfect time to drink coffee
The best time to drink coffee is the late morning hours or closer to the afternoon, when the body has the lowest level of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol production is usually associated with stress or fear, but it is also a component of circadian rhythms that regulate daily activity — the intervals when a person is awake and asleep. If you drink coffee during the hours when the body produces the most cortisol, you can get addicted to caffeine, which, in fact, will be a substitute for cortisol.
Research shows that the highest levels of cortisol are observed in the human body from 6 to 10 am (especially from 8 to 9 am) and from 12 to 14 pm.
Therefore, it is better to drink coffee either between 10 and 12 am, or from 14 to 17 pm — so that it is not too late and coffee will not interfere with a healthy sleep.
