Right? Can coffee consumption lead to overweight?

Caffeinated coffee affects the perception of sweetness
Many people like to drink coffee. Some people only drink coffee in the morning to wake up and get fit, but most people drink several cups of coffee a day. Researchers now found that consuming caffeine-containing coffee in the mouth leads to a misjudgment of the perceived sweetness. This is how coffee drinkers find sweet drinks and food to be less sweet. This could lead to weight gain due to the unconscious intake of sweet and very sugary foods.

Cornell University researchers found that consuming caffeine-containing coffee appears to lead to a false sense of sweetness in drinks and food. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "Journal of Food Science".

Can the consumption of coffee cause the human palate to misperceive sugar in food and drink? (Image: ram69 - fotolia)

Caffeinated coffee puzzles our taste buds
In Britain alone, people consume about 55 million cups of coffee per day. Most consumers do not just drink one cup a day, but several. The consumption of caffeine-containing coffee, however, seems to have a decisive disadvantage: It influences how our palate perceives sweetness.

Physicians examined nearly 200 subjects
For their study, the researchers studied 197 people in two different experiments. At the first examination, participants drank decaffeinated coffee with the supplement of 200 mg of caffeine (this amount is contained in a cup of strong coffee). At the second examination, the subjects drank pure decaffeinated coffee. After the two tests, the researchers asked the participants to rate the taste of the coffee along with other sugary liquids.

Caffeinated coffee changes the taste perception
The researchers found that consumers of coffee with caffeine judged the sugary liquids to be less sweet. The results of the investigation show that the consumption of coffee changes the taste perception, explains author Robin Dando of Cornell University. Therefore, if you are taking a meal right after drinking caffeinated coffee or other caffeinated drinks, you will probably perceive the taste of the food differently, the expert adds.

Misjudgment of sweetness in food can lead to weight problems
Caffeine reduces your ability to taste sweetness in food. The erroneous perception of sugar can make you eat sweets. By consuming these sweet foods can then gain weight, explain the scientists. The caffeine adheres to the so-called adenosine receptors in the body. Activation of these receptors usually keeps us awake.

Try to drink only one coffee a day
If you can not live without your daily coffee, just try a cup. At best, drink the coffee at a time when you normally do not eat sweet foods or drinks, experts suggest. (As)