A new study highlights that drinking coffee might change the makeup of your gut microbiome, which is the community of microorganisms like bacteria that live in your intestines. Researchers discovered that people who regularly drink coffee have more of a specific type of bacteria called Lawsonibacter asaccharolyticus compared to those who don’t.
This finding supports the idea that there’s a clear link between what we eat and the microbes in our gut. Although scientists are still learning about L. asaccharolyticus, it might play a role in coffee’s possible health benefits for the heart, brain, and other areas.
There’s a growing body of evidence showing that the bacteria in our gut can majorly impact our health, including the risk of chronic diseases. The field of gut microbiome research is fascinating and continuously shows how important these microbes are for our overall well-being.
The recent study, done by the nutrition company ZOE and published in the journal Nature Microbiology, builds on prior findings that coffee has the strongest connection with the gut microbiome among over 150 foods and drinks. Coffee turned out to have the biggest influence on the makeup of the microbiome.
Curious about this discovery, the researchers conducted a detailed study to see how coffee might interact with the gut microbiome. The team examined data from 23,115 participants in the U.S. and the U.K. from several studies. Participants were diverse in terms of health and had their gut bacteria analyzed through metagenomics, which looks at genetic material from stool samples. They also filled out surveys about their coffee drinking habits.
The researchers categorized participants based on how much coffee they drank: “never” for those drinking less than three cups per month, “high” for more than three cups daily, and “moderate” for everyone in between. They found that L. asaccharolyticus levels were 4.5 to eight times higher in heavy coffee drinkers compared to non-drinkers, and 3.4 to 6.4 times higher in moderate drinkers. The difference between heavy and moderate drinkers wasn’t significant for most.
These results were consistent regardless of health status or location. The team even confirmed their findings with lab tests, showing L. asaccharolyticus grew when exposed to both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, indicating that caffeine might not be the key factor.
While the study pinpoints the bacteria most linked to coffee consumption, it leaves much to explore. Although L. asaccharolyticus was only discovered a few years ago, understanding its role in human health is still developing.
Future research might look into how certain components of coffee interact with L. asaccharolyticus. Chlorogenic acid, for instance, a compound in coffee known for health benefits, might be what fosters the growth of this bacteria. When metabolized, it creates compounds that stimulate the growth of beneficial microbes. More quinic acid, a derivative, was noted in coffee drinkers with higher levels of L. asaccharolyticus.
Several lifestyle factors, like sleep, stress, environment, exercise, and diet, affect gut health, with diet being the most impactful. Eating a variety of plant foods is recommended for maintaining a healthy gut, as these offer prebiotic fiber that benefits gut bacteria. Foods like garlic, oats, bananas, onions, asparagus, artichokes, wheat, apples, flaxseed, and legumes are rich in these fibers.
If you’re inspired to start drinking coffee, it’s best to ease into it to see how it affects you. Coffee can stimulate bowel movements, so if you have conditions like diarrhea or irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D), it might be wise to limit or avoid it.
