Coffee could be the key to a slim waistline.

Coffee is the favorite drink of the United States. You can hardly drive any distance without finding a Starbucks, Dunkin Doughnuts, or another java centered establishments. It is a huge industry and represents over 75 billion dollars per year. Could this addiction to the morning brew help America fight the other addiction: obesity?

A new study from the UK looked at coffee consumption and the effect of consumption on brown fat or brown adipose tissue​[1]​. Brown adipose tissue is able to rapidly generate heat and burn calories to generate this heat. If Coffee would increase the calories burned, it should lead to increased weight loss or reduce weight gain.

Coffee consumption has been associated with loss of body weight and increased energy expenditure in prior studies. It has yet to be determined if whether it can activate brown fat cells. This new study examined the effect of caffeine on brown fat thermogenesis loss as a means to promote weight loss. The study showed that drinking coffee (but not water) stimulated an increase in temperature and calories burned.

Although not proven yet, this could prove to help with weight loss and maintenance. It is unclear what ingredient in coffee induces this effect. The problem is that increased temperature tends to increase sweating and risk of heat injury. It could also lead to many other complications but time will only tell which of these will occur with the doses required for weight loss.

The bottom line: This research is one more reason to have a few cups of coffee in the morning. The results are promising because obesity is a huge health and financial concern for the United States and the rest of the world. Hopefully, they find a means to do it with limited side effects, but until then, enjoy your Joe.