A recent study published in Nature Microbiology suggests drinking coffee could impact your gut health. This news is timely, as today’s consumers have recently begun to pay more attention to lifestyle factors that affect their gut health. The study involved over 22,000 participants from the UK and the United States, which revealed that a specific bacteria, L. asaccharolyticus, was more prevalent in coffee drinkers compared to those who did not drink coffee. This bacteria was found in drinkers of both regular and decaf coffee, which suggests the bacteria present in coffee is not a result of the coffee’s caffeine content.
The results of the study found that moderate-to-heavy coffee drinkers contained, on average, about 4.5 to 8 times more production of the bacterium than non-coffee drinkers. This data suggests that coffee may contribute positively to the gut microbiome. While this research is intriguing, the research lacks concise data that suggests what exactly the health benefits of L. asaccharolyticus are. The study was conducted by employees of the company ZOE, which sells prebiotic plant blends. According to the company, if you’re a coffee drinker, there’s a very high chance you’ve got a thriving population of L. asaccharolyticus in your intestines right now.”
“This study forms a vital scientific building block,” ZOE, the company, said in their research announcement. “As we dig further into the relationship between coffee and gut bacteria, we’ll slowly deepen our understanding of how they interact to support health.” While it is known that coffee drinkers are likely to have higher amounts of L. asaccharolyticus, it’s still unclear the true impact of this bacterium on a person’s gut health.
