How coffee changes the gut microbiome: researchers have found a link

A large international team of medical researchers has found that people who regularly drink coffee have significantly more of one type of gut bacteria than those who do not drink coffee.

In their study, published in the journal Nature Microbiology, the scientists analysed stool and blood samples from a large number of patients, and examined similar data from large medical databases to find out the impact of coffee consumption on the gut microbiome.

Previous studies have shown that dietary habits affect the gut microbiome - the community of fungi, yeasts and bacteria living in the human gastrointestinal tract. However, it is not fully understood exactly which foods contribute to a healthy microbiome and which may be harmful.

In the new study, a team of scientists decided to focus on the effects of one product: coffee. They chose it for two reasons: firstly, because coffee is consumed by so many people around the world; secondly, it is usually either drunk daily or not at all.

To study the effects of coffee on the gut microbiome, the researchers analysed medical data from around 22,800 people from the UK and the US, as well as a further 54,200 people from 211 different cohorts. This allowed them to compare stool samples from people who reported regular coffee consumption with those who did not drink it, and identify differences in the microbiome between these groups.

The results showed one significant difference - the abundance of the bacterium Lawsonibacter asaccharolyticus. People who drank coffee regularly had eight times higher levels of this bacterium than those who did not drink coffee. And this difference was consistent among people around the world.

The research team admits that they do not yet know what effect elevated levels of L. asaccharolyticus have on the body. However, they speculate that it may be related to the health benefits attributed to coffee consumption. The scientists emphasise that individual foods or drinks can significantly affect a person's gut microbiome.

The study confirms that coffee consumption habits can significantly affect the composition of the gut microbiome. Although the exact role of the bacterium Lawsonibacter asaccharolyticus has not yet been established, this discovery opens new avenues for research into nutrition and gut health.

Details: Paolo Manghi et al, Coffee consumption is associated with intestinal Lawsonibacter asaccharolyticus abundance and prevalence across multiple cohorts, Nature Microbiology (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01858-9

Nathan P. McNulty et al, Coffee habits help shape gut communities, Nature Microbiology (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01869-6