A study published June 24 in Scientific Reports suggests adults' consumption of coffee might help promote weight loss.
Thermal imaging was conducted on nine adult volunteers to see how drinking a Nescafe© Original coffee versus drinking water alone impacted supraclavicular temperature - the temperature in the region just above the collarbone - in an effort to see if coffee would increase brown adipose tissue activity. Brown adipose tissue, or brown fat, helps burn energy in the body to generate heat, and thus might help with weight loss.
Study authors suggested additional studies could be done to find out whether caffeine-induced brown adipose tissue activity depends on the amount of caffeine, find out how little caffeine can produce the result and whether the effect can also be seen in diabetic or obese individuals.
Most of the researchers are affiliated with the University of Nottingham in the UK, while one is affiliated with the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System and David Geffen School of Medicine of the University of California in Los Angeles, CA.
