Coffee and Gut Health

“Although diet is a substantial determinant of the human gut microbiome, the interplay between specific foods and microbial community structure remains poorly understood. Coffee is a habitually consumed beverage with established metabolic and health benefits. We previously found that coffee is, among >150 items, the food showing the highest correlation with microbiome components. ”

A study published in Nature Microbiology investigates how regular coffee consumption affects the gut microbiome, specifically increasing the abundance of a beneficial gut bacterium linked to improved heart and brain health. Researchers analyzed gut microbiome data from over 23,000 participants, categorizing them as "non-drinkers" (fewer than three cups per month), "moderate drinkers" (approximately three cups daily), and "high drinkers" (more than three cups daily). Both moderate and high coffee drinkers exhibited significantly higher levels of the beneficial gut bacterium compared to non-drinkers, with minimal differences between the moderate and high consumption groups.

The study underscores the role of coffee's bioactive compounds—such as caffeine, polyphenols, and dietary fiber—in promoting this beneficial gut bacteria and enhancing overall gut health. Essentially, the findings suggest that your daily coffee habit does more than deliver a caffeine boost; it may also support your gut microbiome and, by extension, your overall health.

However, the study does not address variations in coffee roast levels or freshness, which we believe warrant further scientific exploration. Future research should examine how coffee freshness and roast levels impact gut microbiome composition to fully uncover the intricacies of coffee's health benefits. Freshly roasted coffee is likely to retain more beneficial compounds, while stale coffee may lose some of its advantageous properties due to oxidation. This would be a gut-punch to all the commercially available stale coffee we find littered on the shelves of grocery stores nationwide. Additionally, the study does not differentiate between the effects of various roast levels—such as over-roasted dark roasts versus under-roasted light roasts—on the gut microbiome, despite the fact that these differences can significantly alter the chemical composition of coffee, leading to lower levels of beneficial compounds in both over- and under-roasted varieties.

References:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-024-01858-9 http://segatalab.cibio.unitn.it/index.html
https://pressroom.unitn.it/comunicato-stampa/theres-link-between-coffee-and-microbiome