What Does Coffee Do to Hunger and Cravings?

The other day I was talking to a friend of mine about coffee, and he told me how he experienced reduced sugar cravings when he drank coffee. Furthermore, he also had this verbalized to him from someone else as well, really peaking my interest as I was unaware of any correlation between the two compounds. So I decided to set out on a research journey and see if I could find some answers on the relationship between coffee and our food cravings.

Does Coffee Affect Your Sweet Tooth?

This is the question that initially got me on this path of discovery. I was actually very surprised, because despite my friend's personal experience, everything I read suggested the contrary.

So at its base, caffeine actually contains chemicals that suppress your ability to register sweet sensations by the palate. This is a result of caffeine's bitterness which results from being a natural pesticide, being used by coffee and tea plants to ward off predators and insects. Turns out, because of this impaired sugar detection, your brain can be left wanting more. This effect can be cumulative too, meaning that carvings can increase alongside increased caffeine consumption.

What About Hunger?

Coffee has been shown pretty definitively to be able to suppress appetite and increase metabolism when drank in moderation. Although you may experience a curbing of appetite, beware because there are always pros and cons when it comes to nutrition. Caffeine, when consumed excessively, can cause serious health issues such as hypertension, insomnia and anxiety. As a side note, research actually suggests that decaf coffee provides even more appetite suppression than traditional coffee. which if used properly, may be able to aid in late night cravings.

The twist to caffeine's metabolic boost is that by doing so, it puts extra stress on the nervous system. When any sort of stress is put on the body, be it physical or mental, one of the body's natural reactions is to produce a hormone called Cortisol. Cortisol is what's known as a catabolic hormone, which breaks down cells and muscle tissue within the body. Cortisol also causes the metabolism to slow and hold onto calories in the form of fat.

The Conclusion

Like all foods and drinks, it's a balancing act rooted in moderation. Despite what the literature might suggest, if you opt for a cup of coffee instead of a sugar-laden doughnut or cake, then you're probably coming out ahead. But substituting one vice for another can potentially land you in worse health than what you were trying to avoid in the first place. Finding what works for you personally is what's most important here. Healthy living is a bit of a puzzle sometimes. It's not going to always have a linear, well-defined path. Keep trying different combinations of pieces until they fit together to form what you want your lifestyle to look like.