High plasma caffeine levels may reduce body fat and type 2 diabetes risk

A recent study published in the journal BMJmedicineBritish and Swedish researchers investigated the causal relationship of long-term serum caffeine levels to type 2 diabetes (T2D), obesity, and major cardiovascular disease (CVD).

study: Assessing the causal effects of plasma caffeine on obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease: a two-sample Mendelian randomized studyImage credit: Shidlovski / Shutterstock

Background

Caffeine is a widely consumed substance with psychoactive properties that is the main source of coffee, soda, tea, etc. The effects of ingestion should be evaluated. Short-term, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have reported that the thermogenic properties of caffeine are associated with lower body mass index (BMI), fat mass, and weight.

Observational studies have reported an inverse relationship between coffee intake and T2D risk. However, there are conflicting results regarding the relationship between coffee consumption and stroke risk, coronary artery disease, and heart disease-related mortality. In addition, coffee intake may be related to other potentially confounding factors, such as lifestyle and dietary factors, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity, so the design of the observational study is not causal. We are unable to offer reliable inferences regarding the relationship.

About research

In the current two-sample Mendelian randomized design study, researchers evaluated the effects of caffeine consumption on the risk of developing cardiovascular disorders and T2D.

Summary genetic data were obtained from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of relationships between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). rs2472297 is proximal to the cytochrome P450 enzyme isoform 1A2 (CYP1A2) gene and rs4410790m is proximal to the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) gene. , and serum caffeine at the genome-wide significance threshold.

This data was obtained to assess its relationship to study results. Study participants consisted primarily of her 9,876 Europeans who participated in the GWAS consortium cohort.

Primary study outcomes were body fat mass, body mass index (BMI), lean body mass, T2D, ischemic heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and atrial fibrillation. Genomic variants associated with caffeine metabolism were exploited via a Mendelian randomization framework. This framework investigates the causal relationship of elevated serum caffeine levels to the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.

Association estimates for caffeine metabolism-related SNPs were obtained for body fat mass (BMI) from the GIANTs research consortium and for body fat mass (body composition) from the Integrative Epidemiology Division of the Medical Research Council.

The team obtained summary data on cardiovascular disease types and T2D from DIAMANTE, FinnGen, CARDIoGRAMplusC4D, HERMES, and the MEGASTROKE research consortium. Estimates were obtained from the MR-Base platform. In addition, the team obtained atrial fibrillation-related summary data from his six-study meta-analyses.

Results and discussion

Higher genetically estimated serum caffeine levels were associated with lower BMI (1.0 standard deviation was equal to 4.80 kg/m)²) and body fat mass (1.0 standard deviation was equal to 9.50 kg). In the DIAMANTE and FinnGen consortia, higher genetically estimated serum caffeine concentrations were also associated with lower type 2 diabetes risk. [odds ratio (OR) for the combined association of 0.8].

The probability of T2D with increased serum caffeine levels associated with decreased BMI was 0.9, indicating that 43% of the caffeine effect on T2D was mediated by decreased BMI. No strong relationship was found between in-level and cardiovascular disease risk.

In total, 39,763 and 40,553 phenotypic associations were observed for cytochrome P450 enzyme isoform 1A2 gene and AHR gene SNPs, respectively. SNP alleles that increase serum caffeine levels are associated with decreased tea and coffee intake, decreased BMI, increased grain and water consumption, urea, creatinine, phosphate, albumin, cystatin C, sodium, etc. was associated with increased levels of renal markers in

In addition, SNPs at the CYP1A2 locus were associated with more pronounced peaks in expiratory flow, volume and breadth of platelet distribution, diastolic blood pressure, arm impedance, and lower leg fat percentage.

SNPs at the AHR locus are associated with elevated levels of urinary potassium, elevated levels of liver biomarkers such as alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin, improved lipid profiles, decreased glycated hemoglobin levels, and increased levels of sex hormone-binding globulin. associated with decline.

Caffeine may reduce fat mass and body mass index by promoting fat oxidation, energy expenditure and brown adipose tissue thermogenesis, or by increasing satiety and reducing energy intake. Yin may reduce the risk of developing T2D by lowering overall body fat. Alleles associated with higher serum caffeine levels are associated with reduced tea and coffee intake.

Therefore, individuals with the allele may have lower T2D risk due to less exposure to other components of tea and coffee, such as diterpenes, which increase T2D risk. The relationship between serum caffeine levels and cholesterol and triglycerides may be associated with lipid-elevating diterpenes such as kahweol and cafestol found in unfiltered types of coffee.

Conclusion

The study results showed that higher serum caffeine levels may reduce the risk of T2D and obesity. Further research is needed to investigate whether caloric caffeinated beverages may reduce the risk of T2D and obesity.