How you take your morning coffee can help you lose weight, explains study

13 October 2023 , 23:15

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A second cup of coffee may help benefit your weight in the long run according to a large longitudinal study (Image: Getty Images)

Anyone who's ever felt a little guilty about that extra cup of coffee in the morning can now feel vindicated as doctors have found a second coffee can help control your weight in the long run - but only if you take it black.

Sugar and creamer make a significant difference over time, according to a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers focused on the relationship between coffee consumption habits and body weight changes during four-year increments.

The results are based on other papers, including the Nurses’ Health Study (1986-2010), the Nurses’ Health Study II (1991-2015), and the Health Professional Follow-up Study (1991-2014). Participants in these studies completed questionnaires about their diets.

READ MORE:Experts claim drinking extra cup of coffee per day could help with weight loss

Go ahead and have that extra cup o' joe in the morning - just forgo the sugar if you want to keep in shape (Getty Images)

The researchers noted caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee drinking, whether the participants had sugar, non-sweeteners or cream with their beverage. 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.

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But adding just one teaspoon of sugar to coffee was associated with a weight gain that was 0.09 kg more than expected over four years.m“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,” Erin Palinski-Wade, a New Jersey-based registered dietitian, told Fox News Digital.

While creamer or dairy in coffee can also add some extra calories, these liquids still have some benefits. “Milk and creamer additions can add protein/fat, which may help with satiety,” she said.

A little milk may be good for you though, and help add a tiny bit of protein to your morning routine (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

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."

Furthermore, those who already struggle with high BMI or obesity had an even stronger association with weight gain consequences from adding sugar.

This study is unique because of its sheer size and scope, as well as the follow-ups. An average person consumes 66 pounds of added sugar each year. That’s about 26 teaspoons of sugar every day. Naturally, that would mean chewing about two pounds of sugarcane. Added sugar is hiding in 74 per cent of processed food. And added sugars are just empty calories — that means that they do not contain any nutrients. They’re just extra calories without any health benefits.

Yelena Mandenberg