Daily hot drink ‘burns belly fat, boosts abs definition and testosterone levels’ – plus 5 other benefits

STARTING the day with a hot drink is something millions of Brits do. But most probably don’t realise their drink of choice could be the difference between having a flatter belly and abs, or a podgy pouch – at least, that’s what new evidence suggests. Brits love their hot drinks but a suprising potential benefit is that one may contribute to a leaner physique Credit: Getty New evidence suggests that you could reduce your belly size with morning habit Credit: Alamy Whether it’s to help us wake up or simply part of your morning routine, having a coffee is a non-negotiable for many. But apart from the inevitable energy boost you get from the caffeine, did you know that a cup of joe actually has a plethora of health benefits? Of course, that is when it’s drunk in moderation. New research from a university in Finland has suggested that people who drink more coffee have a “leaner body composition”. Essentially, the study found that people who had a higher caffeine intake had less fat on their tummy – and all over – and more muscle. Drinking more coffee was also linked to lower levels of certain amino acids – the ‘building blocks’ of proteins – associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. And what’s more, greater coffee consumption in men was even associated with higher testosterone levels. Study authors cautioned, however, that further research is now necessary before findings can be used to influence dietary recommendations. Researchers from the University of Oulu analysed data from 2,264 men and women, all aged 46. The team wanted to investigate how participants’ usual coffee intake related to their risk of certain diseases – including heart attack, stroke and diabetes – their sex hormone levels and their body composition. Writing in the European Journal of Nutrition, scientists said their findings suggested that people who consumed more coffee tended to have lower levels of both total body fat and visceral fat. Visceral fat is the fat that wraps around organs and too much of it can cause health problems. Researchers observed that people who drank more coffee had more muscle Credit: Getty How to blast belly fat WITHOUT going to the gym or dieting Chew your food This mindfulness trick is used to focus your brain on the food you are eating – how it tastes and feels – rather than scoffing it in a hurry. If the brain does not register that you have eaten, you’ll soon crave more food. Avocado a day Eating avocado every day can fight visceral fat in women, which collects around the organs in the stomach and can lead to diabetes, heart attack, and some cancers, according to a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign study of 105 people. Avoid fizzy drinks Losing belly “fat” may just be a case of preventing bloating, which can be onset by fizzy soft drinks. Instead, keep hydrated with water. Reduce alcohol Alcohol does no favours at all for our health or figures. It is ’empty calories’, meaning it contributes to your calorie intake without giving any nutritional benefit. Hangovers can also lead you to eat more fatty foods, while putting you off exercising. Sleep more Various studies have shown that if you’re not sleeping well, it can cause weight gain. People are more likely to crave junk food when they are sleep deprived because, not only are they in need of an energy boost, but their appetite hormones are all over the place. Reduce stress Stress causes an imbalance of hormones, particularly cortisol. This hormone has been linked with obesity and excess belly fat. Find ways to reduce your stress to avoid the so-called ‘stress belly’. Participants with a higher caffeine intake also had a “higher skeletal muscle mass”. Interestingly, these differences appeared despite people having a similar body mass index (BMI). The study also suggested that higher levels of coffee consumption was associated with lower circulating concentrations of certain amino acids in both men and women. Known as branched-chain amino acids, these biomarkers have previously been associated with insulin resistance and a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes when chronically elevated in the body. Researchers also wanted to know how effects of caffeine consumption differed in men and women. In men, they observed that drinking more coffee was associated with higher levels of testosterone and a more favourable glucose-insulin profile, which plays a crucial role in diabetes management. Drinking higher levels of caffeine, however, had less extensive associations with hormones in women. Higher consumption levels were mainly associated with increased sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) – a protein that sticks to hormones in the blood and regulates their delivery throughout the body – and lower measures of free androgens, such as testosterone. As the study was observational, researchers stressed that they cannot yet establish that drinking coffee directly caused any of these differences. But they concluded that these findings offer a good starting point for future studies, which can determine whether coffee itself produces these biological changes. Here are five other benefits of caffeine you may not know about. Benefits of coffee Another study has suggested that drinking caffeine could help you live longer Credit: Getty Firstly, drinking three cups of coffee – or even two cups of tea – a day may reduce the risk of dementia and slow cognitive decline. Recent research from Harvard University observed that study participants who drank this amount of coffee were 18 per cent less likely to develop the condition, compared to non-tea or coffee drinkers. Research by the University of Verona has also found that regularly drinking espresso coffee can reduce your risk of dementia-causing Alzheimer’s disease. Caffeine could also help to keep your liver healthy. Both regular coffee and caffeine-free versions of the drink have been associated with healthier liver enzyme levels. Justin Stebbing, a professor of Biomedical Sciences at Anglia Ruskin University says that coffee drinkers have “a significantly lower risk of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer”. Research from the Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University has also suggested that one to two cups of coffee a day were associated with a 20 per cent lower risk of cirrhosis and a 24 per cent lower risk of liver cancer. Other studies have suggested that coffee drinkers have a lower risk of depression and a decreased risk of suicide. And finally, Professor Stebbing says that coffee drinkers tend to live longer than those who don’t drink the beverage. He refers to a study of over 400,000 people, which found that drinking coffee over 12 to 13 years was linked to a lower risk of death. Interestingly, this effect was strongest in people who had four to five cups per day. So, the next time you’re enjoying a cuppa, it may be doing much more for your body than just helping to keep you awake.