- With Mayo Clinic nutritionist
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
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Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the Food & Nutrition Center, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.
A Marinette, Wis., native, she is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in pediatrics at Mayo Clinic Rochester and nutrition education related to the physiology and recommended intakes for premature infants.
Other areas of interest include breast milk and formula safety, neonatal feeding, and nutrition for breast-feeding mothers.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
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Question
Caffeine: Can it help me lose weight?
Does caffeine increase weight loss?
Answer
from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
A few studies indicate that drinking coffee or tea with caffeine may slightly boost weight loss or prevent weight gain. But there's no evidence that increased caffeine consumption results in significant or permanent weight loss. And some of the studies looking at caffeine and weight were poor quality or done on animals, making the results questionable or hard to generalize to humans. In addition, some studies found that decaffeinated coffee may contribute to modest changes in weight, suggesting that substances or factors besides caffeine may play a role in weight loss.
Although the research about caffeine and weight isn't definitive, researchers have several theories about how caffeine affects weight:
- Appetite suppression. Caffeine may reduce your desire to eat for a brief time, but there's not enough evidence to show that long-term consumption aids weight loss.
- Calorie burning. Caffeine may stimulate thermogenesis — one way your body generates heat and energy from digesting food. But this probably isn't enough to produce significant weight loss.
- Water loss. Caffeine acts as a diuretic, which means it increases the amount of urine you excrete. This water loss may temporarily decrease your body weight.
While you may be tempted to try caffeine to aid weight loss, keep in mind that caffeine's a stimulant and too much can cause nervousness, insomnia and other problems. Also, some caffeinated beverages, such as specialty coffees, are high in calories and fat. So instead of losing weight, you might actually gain weight.
Next questionLipovarin: An effective weight-loss supplement?
- Belza A, et al. The effect of caffeine, green tea and tyrosine on thermogenesis and energy intake. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2009;63:57.
- Nawrot P, et al. Effects of caffeine on human health. Food Additives and Contaminants. 2003;20:1.
- Lopez-Garcia E, et al. Changes in caffeine intake and long-term weight change in men and women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2006;83:674.
- Greenberg JA, et al. Coffee, diabetes, and weight control. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2006;84:682.
