Drinking five or more cups of coffee a day may help protect against dangerous belly fat, potentially lowering the risk of conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and even cancer, according to research.
Researchers in Finland found that people who regularly consumed about five cups of coffee daily had less visceral fat and greater muscle mass than those who drank less, even though their overall body weight was broadly similar.
Visceral fat is different from the softer fat that can be pinched around the waist. It sits deep inside the abdomen, wrapping around vital organs and releasing damaging chemicals that may contribute to disease.
Often described as a ‘silent killer’, this hidden fat has been associated with heart disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and several cancers, including liver, bowel and stomach cancer.
Coffee has long been associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, but the latest findings suggest habitual coffee drinking may also be linked with a healthier body composition overall.
‘Coffee is consumed by millions of people every day, yet we still know surprisingly little about how it relates to our metabolism,’ Luca Verroest, a metabolism expert at the University of Oulu and lead author of the study, explained.
‘What stood out in our findings was a distinct pattern that didn’t disappear even after we took into account body mass index (BMI) and lifestyle factors.’
The study, published in the European Journal of Nutrition, examined data from 2,264 people aged 46 who were part of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966.
People who drink at least five cups of coffee a day tend to have less visceral fat than non-drinkers
Participants were split into four groups based on how much coffee they consumed on average, ranging from none to five or more cups a day.
Researchers then looked at their weight, BMI, waist size, body fat percentage, muscle mass and blood pressure.
Blood samples were also taken to measure cholesterol and insulin levels, as well as track sex hormones such as testosterone.
They found that those who drank the most coffee had the lowest body fat percentage – at around 27 per cent – compared to those who drank none, who sat at around 29 per cent body fat.
People who drank five or more cups a day also had around 6 per cent less visceral fat than non-drinkers and the highest muscle mass.
Interestingly, BMI – a measure of weight relative to height – was virtually the same across all groups, despite habitual coffee drinkers carrying less fat and more muscle.
Higher coffee intake was also linked to lower levels of a type of amino acid that has previously been linked to obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Men who drank more coffee generally had more favourable insulin levels and higher levels of total testosterone, which the researchers said could help protect against diabetes and other metabolic diseases.
However, men who regularly drank more coffee also had lower levels of free testosterone, which has previously been associated with low libido, fatigue and reduced muscle mass.
The researchers concluded that habitual coffee consumption is associated with a ‘leaner body composition’ which could have beneficial implications for long-term health.
However, they acknowledged further research is needed before the findings can inform dietary recommendations – with some people being less able to tolerate caffeine.
Because this study was observational, the team were also not able to comment on whether coffee’s protective effect was due to anti-inflammatory compounds in the beans, known as polyphenols, or the caffeine itself.
One 2026 study looking at the coffee habits of more than 350,000 adults found those who drink five or more cups a day were 47 per cent less likely to develop liver cancer – even when they opted for decaf.
But unfiltered options, such as French press, have also been shown to increase levels of so-called bad cholesterol that can build up in the arteries over time and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
It comes as US researchers found that drinking five cups of black coffee a day could slash the risk of heart disease and stroke.
However, publishing their findings in the journal of the American Heart Association, they also warned that higher doses of caffeine can overstimulate the heart, triggering sudden spikes in blood pressure, irregular heart beats and even cardiac arrest in healthy adults.
