Differential Impact of Coffee Quantity and Sweetening on Body Composition Parameters and Inflammation

Giuseppe Annunziata^1*Evelyn Frias-Toral^2,3Francesco Campa⁴Maria Antonieta Touriz Bonifaz^5,6Ludovica Verde⁷Martina Galasso⁷Silvia Savastano^7,8Annamaria Colao^7,8Antonio Paoli⁴Daniel Simancas⁹Giovanna Muscogiuri^7,8Luigi Barrea¹

• ¹Universita Telematica Pegaso, Naples, Italy
• ²Universidad de Especialidades Espiritu Santo, Samborondon, Ecuador
• ³Texas State University, San Marcos, United States
• ⁴Universita degli Studi di Padova, Padua, Italy
• ⁵Universidad Catolica de Santiago de Guayaquil, Guayaquil, Ecuador
• ⁶Universidad de Guayaquil, Guayaquil, Ecuador
• ⁷Universita degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy
• ⁸Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Federico II, Naples, Italy
• ⁹Universidad UTE, Quito, Ecuador

Background: Coffee is the most consumed and popular beverage worldwide. The health benefits of its regular, moderate consumption are well known, and include antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, as well as metabolic effects, reducing the risk of obesity and related diseases. The available literature, however, provides no information about the effect of coffee consumption on body composition (BC) and inflammation. The present cross-sectional observational study aims to investigate the effect of coffee consumption on BC and inflammation-related parameters, as well as the possible impact of adding sugar and the frequency of consumption. Methods: Coffee consumption habits, preference for adding sugar and frequency of daily consumption were assessed in 2,556 adults (1080 men and 1476 women). BC was assessed using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA), while high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels were monitored for inflammatory status. Results: A total of 1,855 subjects (680 men and 1175 women) were included in the statistical analysis. Compared to non-consumers, coffee consumers showed lower body mass index (BMI), waist girth (WG), and hs-CRP levels, and higher skeletal muscle mass (SMM), appendicular SMM (ASMM), phase angle (PhA), and standardised PhA (SPA) (p < 0.001 for all). The same trend was observed for unsweetened coffee consumers compared to subjects consuming sweetened coffee. With increasing coffee consumption, BMI, WG, and hs-CRP generally decreased, while SMM and ASMM showed a bell-shaped trend with peak values in those consuming 2–3 cups per day. Similarly, PhA and SPA values were highest among moderate coffee consumers. Conclusion: These findings suggest that moderate coffee consumption, particularly unsweetened coffee, is associated with more favourable body composition and inflammatory profiles. Given the observational design, causality cannot be established. Nevertheless, the results may inform dietary guidance aimed at supporting muscle maintenance and mitigating obesity-related metabolic risk.