Coffee intake and body fat in 12 studies
What it found
In people, higher coffee intake was linked to slightly lower BMI and waist circumference, mainly in men.
The link was small and some analyses found no clear difference.
What they found
Studies in people
BMI, continuous
Across three studies, people who drank the most coffee had a slightly lower BMI than those who drank the least. In men, the difference was small but clear; in women, it was not.
Waist circumference
Across four studies, higher coffee intake was linked to a slightly smaller waist circumference. The link was clear in men but not in women.
Overweight or obesity
Across three studies, the risk of being overweight or obese was not clearly different between high and low coffee drinkers. In women, higher coffee intake was linked to a higher risk, but this finding was based on a small number of studies.
Central obesity
Across six studies, the risk of central obesity was not clearly different between high and low coffee drinkers. In men, higher coffee intake was linked to a slightly lower risk; in women, to a slightly higher risk, but neither was clear.
Studies in people and animals
Possible reasons
The authors note that studies in Korea, where instant coffee mixes with sugar and cream are common, found positive links between coffee and obesity. They also say that coffee contains compounds like chlorogenic acid and trigonelline that have shown anti-obesity effects in mice and in lab tests.
What the authors conclude
“Our meta-analysis suggests that higher coffee intake might be modestly associated with reduced adiposity, particularly in men.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that coffee intake may be modestly associated with lower adiposity as indicated by BMI and WC, particularly in men.
- They say that while the benefit of coffee intake against obesity was not as fundamental as balanced diets and physical activity, coffee may be incorporated into a part of healthy lifestyle to promote overall health.
How it was done
Many studies have looked at coffee and obesity, but the results are inconsistent. The authors wanted to systematically summarise the evidence.
They pooled data from 12 epidemiologic studies found in PubMed and Embase up to February 2019. The studies measured body mass index or waist circumference in adults.
What it can’t tell you
- Most of the studies were cross-sectional, so they cannot show whether coffee intake comes before or after changes in body fat.
- The studies cannot rule out other factors like smoking that might affect the results.
- The review could not separate the effects of different types of coffee, such as those with added sugar or cream.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflict of interest.
- Authors work at
- Dartmouth College, USA; Dongguk University, Korea; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, USA
The paper
- Title
- Coffee Intake and Obesity: A Meta-Analysis
- Type
- Systematic review and meta-analysisThe authors follow a set, published method to find every relevant study, then combine the numbers from them into one result.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Lee A, Lim W, Kim S, et al (2019). Coffee Intake and Obesity: A Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu11061274Free full textPubMed 31195610DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error