Scientists Discover That Drinking Coffee Helps Us Burn Fat
Research has previously established that coffee can lower the risk of Parkinson's Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's, and heart disease. Now, it burns fat, too.
Recently, researchers at the University of Nottingham observed how coffee affects body fat and published their findings in Scientific Reports. To understand their discovery, you need to know that the body stores two different types of fat.
White adipose tissue, or WAT, supplies excess fat for the body to burn later. WAT is what most people burn when they lose weight. Brown adipose tissue, or BAT, helps us balance blood sugar and bone density. When BAT heats up during exercise, it sheds WAT fat. If you didn't know this, you're not alone. "We didn't even know brown fat existed until ten years ago," said Dr. David Agus.
In this study, scientists discovered that coffee raises the temperature of BAT, which helps our bodies burn harmful fat. "We all have the warm feeling after we drink a cup of coffee," explains Dr. Agus, "because we're stimulating that brown fat."
This method of fat-burning mirrors how exercise and good sleep both burn fat. Although coffee is never a replacement for working out, it does contribute to weight loss. And remember that although coffee may be a healthy choice, loading it with fat and sugar isn't.
