Journal of Asthma: caffeine consumption reduces the risk of asthma in obesity.
Regular caffeine consumption may be associated with a lower likelihood of developing asthma in people with obesity. This conclusion was reached by researchers who analyzed data from the large American NHANES project from 2007 to 2020. The results of the study were published in the Journal of Asthma.
Scientists examined information about the diet and health of nearly 32,000 adults, including several thousand asthma patients. The comparison showed that among people with obesity, higher caffeine consumption was statistically linked to a lower risk of the disease. On average, this risk was about 17 percent lower, and in men, the relationship was particularly pronounced and nonlinear — the effect intensified at certain levels of consumption.
Additional analysis helped shed light on possible mechanisms. About 15 percent of the protective effect, according to the authors, may be related to changes in gut microbiota — primarily with bacteria of the genus Collinsella, which are involved in regulating inflammation. Genetic methods also indicated a connection between caffeine and pathways that affect sensitivity to corticosteroids, the main anti-inflammatory drugs for asthma.
The authors emphasize that the results do not imply a recommendation to treat asthma with coffee or caffeinated beverages. However, the study points to the potential role of caffeine as a factor that reduces the risk of asthma in people with obesity.
