I thought it’d be easy.
I thought it’d be easy to write a coffee-as-it-relates-to-weight-loss blog post.
First I’d spend a few minutes to quickly research and determine the consensus of the experts in health and nutrition fields. Then I’d spend a few minutes to process all of that and weigh it against my own ideas. Then it would just be a matter of sharing my thoughts with you.
I thought it’d be easy.
Turns out, there is no consensus of the experts in health and nutrition fields.
In an article on Jillian Michael’s website, dietician Kathy Taylor is quoted as saying,
“Caffeine acts like a diuretic causing us to have water loss so there is a temporary decrease in body weight.”
Great!
But in the next article I read, the author states,
“Coffee is often claimed to be a diuretic, but studies have shown that drinking it in moderation does not lead to water loss.”
Likewise, one well-sourced article explained that coffee is useful as a metabolism booster and the very next study I read described those effects as minimal at best.
In fact, about the only thing the experts could agree on was that coffee contained caffeine.
And I’m pretty sure most of us are well aware of that.
It seems that most everyone could get on board with the following theory: caffeine’s ability to stimulate our mind and body – and act as a very modest appetite suppressant – means that, in moderation, coffee may likely aid in our overall diet plan rather than derail it.
That’s sounds about as vague as a Sunday morning political program, doesn’t it?
The bottom line is, if your doctor has not instructed you to restrict or eliminate your coffee intake, then enjoy your morning cup of joe.
No one can really tell if it’s doing any more harm than good to an overall diet plan – which likely means it’s not doing enough harm to matter.
If you have concerns about your coffee intake – or about anything related to your diet choices – contact Mediplan. We’re ready to help!