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Many overweight people, particularly those who have frequently ‘dieted’ and lost weight only to regain it later, are insulin resistance. Unfortunately, the majority of people who have insulin resistance are unaware of it. If you have insulin resistance, using caffeine will further affect your metabolism.

Studies have shown that caffeine (as in coffee and some sodas) contributes to insulin resistance (thus making it harder to lose weight), increases appetite (again making it harder to lose weight) and contributes to food cravings (making it difficult to adhere to a weight loss diet or exercise program). In those studies, even decaffeinated coffee is shown to be detrimental to weight loss.

Caffeine also interferes with GABA and prevents it from performing its calming duties in the human body. This then increases physiological and psychological stress (often associated with both overeating and difficulty adhering to a weight loss diet). Those who are trying to lose body fat (weight) would do well to avoid caffeine.

Relationship Between Caffeine and Weight Gain

If you drink caffeinated beverages throughout the day you may actually be causing yourself to eat more. That’s right. If you’re struggling to lose weight, it may help you to kick the caffeine habit. Here’s why:

Food Cravings

Do you wake each morning with new determination to eat healthy and within your calorie limit only to find yourself snacking or eating more at lunch that you had first planned? Limiting your intake of caffeine can help control your food cravings to stay within your dieting goals.

Caffeine affects cravings for food because it raises the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol raises heart rate, blood pressure and tells your body to increase its energy stores. This results in the body craving sweets. So if you’re wondering why you snacked on cookies in the afternoon, it could have something to do with that coffee you drank with breakfast.

Appetite Stimulant

Low blood sugar known as Hypoglycemia occurs when blood glucose levels drop. When this happens, your body doesn’t have enough energy to perform regular activities because glucose provides important fuel for your body. The main dietary sources for glucose are carbohydrates like:

• Rice
• Potatoes
• Bread
• Tortillas
• Cereal
• Milk
• Fruit
• Sweets

Drinking caffeine can trigger hypoglycemia. The body’s reaction is an increased appetite and cravings for higher calorie foods. The more caffeine consumed, the more your body urges you to eat.

The following characteristics of coffee have an adverse effect on weight loss:

• Coffee Elevates Stress Hormones
  1. Caffeine in coffee elevates the stress hormones cortisol, epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) and norepinephrine.These hormones are responsible for increased heart rate and blood pressure, and a sense of “emergency alert”. Circulation of oxygen to the brain and extremities is decreased and the immune system is suppressed.
  2. The purpose of this “fight or flight” response is to provide the body with a temporary energy boost for intense physical activity. With today’s sedentary lifestyle, the continual state of increased stress resulting from caffeine consumption can negatively affect weight control through disruptions in normal metabolism.
• Increased Cortisol Levels Lead to Abdominal Obesity
  1. Chronically elevated blood cortisol levels that are caused by frequent stress or regular caffeine or coffee intake lead to an increased buildup of fat in the abdominal area; this type of weight gain further stimulates the release of additional stress hormones.
• Increased Stress Leads to Overeating
  1. This chronic state of increased stress caused by caffeine is associated with a markedly increased tendency to overeat. CNS stimulants stimulate anxiety and caffeine consumption increases the tendency of people to overeat or binge-eat and abuse laxatives and diet pills.
  2. Coffee drinking increases physiological measurements of stress, and although this effect is greater with increased caffeine levels, decaffeinated coffee may also influence stress as factors other than caffeine in coffee are associated with stress
  3. Elevation of stress hormones leads to fat cravings
  4. Elevated levels of cortisol increase appetite.
• Caffeine Exacerbates Insulin Resistance Syndrome
  1. Caffine ingestion contributes to insulin resistance and impairs glucose and insulin homeostasis as part of the stress response. Even moderate amounts of coffee can have this effect
  2. Obesity, high blood pressure, impaired glucose metabolism and elevated LDL and lowered HDL blood lipids cluster to generate insulin resistance syndrome. Stress and the release of corticosteroids contribute to the pathogenesis of this syndrome. When people with this syndrome drink coffee as a weight-loss aid, it negatively affects all the conditions associated with this syndrome.
  3. Drinking coffee can cause insomnia and sleep deprivation, both of which have been found to increase insulin resistance. People who are deprived of adequate deep sleep, and are in situations of sleep debt have lower levels of glucose tolerance, greater insulin resistance, increased concentrations of blood cortisol and stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system.
• Caffeine Stimulates Appetite
  1. Although caffeine is included as an ingredient in many weight-loss aids, it actually stimulates appetite, and organizations including the Mayo Clinic26 discourage the use of caffeine as a weight-loss aid. Initially, caffeine may decrease appetite through its central nervous system response. However, subsequently caffeine increases cortisol levels, and higher levels of cortisol stimulate appetite.
  2. Caffeine triggers hypoglycemia through the activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal glands, causing an immediate and sustained constriction of blood vessels, decreased circulation to the brain and a heightened feeling of low blood sugar. The body’s reaction to hypoglycemia results in food cravings and increased appetite. People often crave higher fat foods resulting in increased caloric intake, further interfering with the body’s ability to maintain a healthy weight.
• Coffee Increases Serum Cholesterol Levels
  1. Lipid metabolism is an important factor in weight loss, and drinking cofee is linked to higher levels of serum cholesterol, with particularly high levels noted in people who drink boiled coffee or coffee processed at high temperatures (which includes espress and espresso drinks). Other forms of coffee including decaffeinated coffee have also been shown to increase serum cholesterol levels. Coffee drinking also demonstrably raises blood levels of low density lipoproteins in one lipid research study, although results in other studies are inconclusive.
• Caffeine Interferes with GABA Metabolism
  1. GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid) is a neurotransmitter naturally produced in the brain and nervous system as well as the heart. It plays an important role in mood and stress management and influences a persons sense of well-being.
  2. Caffeine has been found to interfere with binding of GABA to GABA receptors, preventing it from performing its calming function. GABA’s role in stress management is compromised in the presence of caffeine, and increased physiological and psychological stress lead to overeating as well as difficulties losing weight.

  3. Read full article at Diet articles

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