Study links coffee consumption to metabolic health and sex hormones (oulu.fi)

Maybe because the other way to get Caffine is in drinks full of corn syrup.

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I'm a good target market for pro-coffee writing, but this is just an observational study of a drinks habit. No one in the general public should have any interest in studies of this kind.

Maybe if you're deep in working in this research space it could help generate hypotheses for more meaningful research? But "we cross sectionally compared two groups with different behaviors and found they were different" is not really a result.

Title sounds terrible, but the effects are positive from what I understood?

Obligatory reminder about correlation != causation, as indicated in the article itself:

> However, as this was an observational study, the findings demonstrate associations rather than cause-and-effect relationships.

More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Correlation_does_not_imply_cau...

High SHBG and lower free hormones isn't a good thing usually. Starving and anorexia (as an example) can make your SHBG levels skyrocket, resulting in low free hormone levels.

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Something I learned years ago: caffeine doesn't directly "wake you up" it merely causes a trickle of adrenaline release.

So I'm guessing you could get the same boost from exercise, probably moreso.

Anything that elevates the heart rate for a bit is generally good for humans.

The endless articles about studies that are pro-coffee make me highly skeptical. They all feel like advertising by the coffee industry to help coffee addicts feel good about their habit instead of feeling like they should cut back.

Here is the original study: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00394-026-04038-z

Weirdly, I cannot copy text from that page. What am I doing wrong?

Regardless, here is the result summary:

    > Higher coffee intake groups showed lower total and visceral fat and higher skeletal muscle mass, while BMI was comparable across groups. Inverse correlations were observed between coffee intake and circulating branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) in both sexes. In men, higher coffee intake correlated with a more favourable glucose-insulin profile. Multivariable-adjusted models revealed a distinct hormonal pattern: positive associations with total testosterone (β = +0.29 nmol/L per cup/day), bioavailable testosterone, and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), alongside inverse associations with free testosterone and the free androgen index (FAI). In women, hormonal associations were more limited, with positive associations for SHBG and inverse associations for free testosterone and FAI.

This part: "positive associations with total testosterone (β = +0.29 nmol/L per cup/day)". For testosterone, 1 nmol/L ≈ 28.8 ng/dL. So: +0.29 nmol/L ≈ +8.4 ng/dL per additional cup/day.

Really, this will have no meaningful impact on your health. It is widely discussed by TRT (testosterone replacement therapy) doctors that supplements that can increase your total test by 100ng/dL will have no meaningful impact. Literally, you need to drink 12 cups of coffee per day to get a ~100ng/dL improvement. You are going to have a lot of second order effects from drinking 12 cups of coffee per day! I would never recommend it.

Only if it’s coffee from Brazil :-)

I wonder if the mechanism of action here is increased caffeine consumption resulting in more/longer duration/higher intensity exercise.

Love coffee, drink it every day. This study is just as useful as other studies that correlate coffee with negative outcomes. Which is to say, it’s a study that just shows some correlations. Causation is not particularly likely. Drink coffee if you like it but don’t expect health benefits or harms.

I like coffee and drink about 5 to 7 Nespresso capsules a day. Except when I forget, or have no access to coffee.

I did not notice any change between these two extremes.

I have to say, initially coffee is good, but over time it chips away your sleep, your rest and then you kind of lose it. I have periods where I purposely decondition my body and brain from coffee just to reap the benefits again without all the longterm downsides. As always, it is about balance and moderation. I hope this helps you.

Clicked article expecting the requisite "...in mice" but it turns out this could be legit!