Coffee, one of the most enjoyed beverages around the globe, is a staple in many people’s diet and especially their morning routines.
However, the real concern lies in whether this highly popular beverage actually good for the gut microbiome, or if it’s merely a choice driven by cravings.
To answer this, several researchers performed studies to find the effects of coffee on gut microbiome.
In a 2021 study of about 1,000 people, researchers found that among more than 150 foods that had been studied to find link to promote healthy gut, coffee proved to be the strongest link among all to gut microbiome composition, mentioned MNT.
The popular beverage was particularly found to contain higher levels of Lawsonibacter asaccharolyticus, a specific gut bacterium that is found in human feces.
This research, titled, Coffee consumption is associated with intestinal Lawsonibacter asaccharolyticus abundance and prevalence across multiple cohorts, was published on November 18, 2024, on Nature Microbiology.
However, to better understand coffee’s impacts on the gut microbiome, the research team then collected and analyzed diet and medical data from more than 22,800 US and UK citizens.
The research team then compared the data taken from stool samples of both, coffee drinkers and non-drinkers, to discover the effects on gut bacteria.
It was found that those who consumed coffee had up to eight times higher levels of L. asaccharolyticus than those who were non-drinkers.
This led to the conclusion that coffee can actually be helpful in promoting gut-friendly microbiome.
