More Than 2 Cups Of Coffee Per Day May Lower Body Fat In Women 

If you've been trying to cut back on your coffee consumption, you may want to think again—or even up your intake. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition found women who drink more than two cups of coffee per day have lower total body fat1 than those who drink less coffee.  

Researchers from Anglia Ruskin University examined two years of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey2 (NHANES). The survey included both males and females between 20 and 69 years old. 

Women between 20 and 44 years old, who drank between two and three cups of coffee per day, had 3.4% less body fat than infrequent coffee drinkers. Women between 45 and 69, who drank more than four cups a day, showed an even lower percentage of fat (4.1%). 

Men who drank coffee regularly did have lower body fat than infrequent drinkers, but the relationship was less significant. 

Though the researchers are uncertain why coffee lowers body fat, lead author of the study, Lee Smith., Ph.D., said in a news release, there may be bioactive compounds in coffee—other than caffeine—that regulate weight. 

Exercise science and nutrition expert Shawn Talbott, M.S., Ph.D., views coffee as a "health food" but said there can be a danger in overconsumption. 

Drinking too much caffeine (which for most people is 400 mg or four cups per day), can lead to anxiety, heart palpitations, and heightened cortisol, Talbott once told mbg. 

Thankfully, decaf coffee had the same effects on body fat as caffeinated coffee, according to the study.