Research reveals metabolic link between coffee consumption and gut microbiome
A study claiming to be the largest ever conducted on the human gut microbiome’s relationship with coffee consumption reveals a positive link between the beverage and gut bacteria, particularly Lawsonibacter asaccharolyticus. This bacterium boosts the metabolization of quinic acid and trigonelline, which research links to a wide range of health benefits.
The paper spotlights the lesser-known role of how coffee affects the gut microbiome, which has implications for health.
The study in Nature offers a framework for understanding these microbial dietary responses at the biochemical level. It analyzes detailed reports on long-term coffee consumption of 22,000 shotgun metagenomic samples from participants.
Happy bacteria
Researchers identified over 115 species of gut bacteria that had a positive link with coffee consumption. L. asaccharolyticus, which had the strongest association, was isolated and was seen to grow better in vitro when supplemented with coffee.
The link to L. asaccharolyticus was confirmed as prevalent in people across 25 countries, and re-analysis of thousands of public metagenomes confirmed it.
“Metabolomic analysis revealed that quinic acid, trigonelline and unknown metabolites were significantly enriched in coffee drinkers carrying L. asaccharolyticus. The top ten coffee-associated species of gut bacteria remained strongly correlated with decaffeinated coffee consumption, indicating that their underlying biochemistry is probably caffeine-independent,” details the study.
According to research, quinic acid has antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiviral activities. Trigonelline is linked to neuroprotective, hypoglycemic, memory-enhancing, antibacterial, antiviral and antitumor benefits.
The authors add: “Up to 115 species of gut bacteria responded positively to coffee intake, highlighting the impact that a single daily food item can have on the human gut microbiome. The strongest link is by far with L. asaccharolyticus, and efforts should be made to reveal underlying mechanisms of coffee stimulation in vitro.”
Cultural difference
The study found L. asaccharolyticus was more prevalent in populations that consume higher amounts of coffee, especially in Western countries (over 60% of individuals in 52 out of 74 cohorts).
Its presence was found to be much lower in rural populations with non-Western lifestyles. This suggests that coffee may play a key role in shaping the microbiome at an individual and population level.
The paper details that the bacterium had a “median abundance 4.5–8-fold higher in coffee drinkers compared with non-drinkers.”
The next logical step, according to researchers, should be to try to uncover the underlying mechanisms of coffee stimulation in vitro. “The microbial mechanisms underlying the metabolism of coffee are a step toward mapping the role of specific foods on the gut microbiome.”
Close to 70% of caffeine is metabolized as paraxanthine, as it is caffeine’s most efficacious compound, says a researcher. Studies have found paraxanthine provides greater improvement in cognitive function than caffeine after a 10 km run and causes increased energy expenditure for burning calories.
