You wake up early, ready to start your day. You stumble out of bed and head to the kitchen to brew your cup of morning sunshine. Maybe you had a late night, or you’re expecting a busy day and need a jump start. Perhaps you just enjoy waking up slowly while you drink a cup of coffee as the sun is coming up. Now that you’re caffeinated and awake, you head to the bathroom to finish your morning routine. Looking in the mirror, you suddenly notice you have a fat, puffy face. What could be going on? Suddenly you worry. Is your morning coffee making your face fat?
It is not unusual to wonder if your daily coffee habits are causing your face to look fat or bloated. You love your coffee, but you might need to rethink that love if it means your face and body are turning into a fat, blobby mess!
Rest assured, there is no actual evidence that coffee drinkers are more likely to gain weight in the face or anywhere else. Absolutely nothing suggests that drinking coffee makes your face fat. There is, however, an overwhelming amount of evidence that indicates that the opposite is true. Over the years, studies have shown that people who drink four or more cups of coffee every day see their body fat decrease because of caffeine’s effect on metabolism.
Benefits of drinking coffee
The science on how coffee affects the body is overwhelmingly clear that there are many health benefits to drinking coffee.
Some of those benefits include:
- Higher energy levels
- Reduced depression
- Lowered risk of diabetes
- Reduced risk of certain cancers
- Increased physical performance
- Protection from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
- Maintains a healthy weight
While most people automatically think of caffeine as being the star ingredient in their coffee drinks, the coffee bean is incredibly rich in a considerable number of antioxidants. It is clear that when it comes to weight loss or maintenance, caffeine does the work. However, the antioxidants are working just as hard. They work behind the scenes and are doing a lot of incredible things for your entire body.
These antioxidants include hydrocinnamic acids and polyphenols that cancel out the effect that free radicals can have on your body, reducing the likelihood of certain types of cancers. They also provide a significant benefit for your heart and entire circulatory system, which can help prevent both heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Caffeine is a natural diuretic that can reduce puffiness in your face. This quality is precisely why caffeine is frequently used in facial products, specifically because it can reduce puffiness. These antioxidants have also been shown to reduce inflammation.
Does Caffeine Have A Dehydrating Effect?
Dehydration can indeed make your cells want to hold onto all the water they can. Thankfully coffee contains enough water to offset the diuretic effect of caffeine. Sure, drinking coffee might be making you need to pee more, but you are likely getting more than enough water to combat that effect.
According to Mayo Clinic, while coffee has a minor diuretic effect, it doesn’t increase the risk of dehydration. If you are still worried about getting dehydrated from your caffeine consumption, there is a straightforward solution. Drink more water!
Unhealthy Food Can Cause a Fat Face
Before you jump to any conclusions about your daily coffee habit, you should stop and think about all of the other things you are putting into your body every day. Regularly consuming certain foods can cause puffiness from water retention and increase the fat stored in your face. So if you notice a puffy face, you may need to take a good at the foods you are eating.
The foods that commonly cause puffiness or bloating in the body (including the face) are typically highly processed and packed with sodium or other preservatives. These include foods like chips, pretzels, condiments like soy sauce, ramen, and fast-food-type items like french fries. Processed meats like ham or salami and even bacon can also contribute to bloating. If you are even mildly lactose sensitive, you might be likely to find that dairy products, including milk and most cheeses, can increase inflammation and puffiness in your face or other areas of your body. This inflammation happens because your digestive system is struggling to process the lactose in those products. Finally, many people are surprised to discover alcohol consumption, even in minor amounts, can cause bloating or swelling.
Other Things That Cause a Puffy Face
While coffee or caffeine, in general, might not be causing you to have a fat face, several other things can make your face look fat. The most common cause of a puffy face is consuming alcohol. That glass (or two) of wine with dinner is far more likely to be a problem than your morning latte is. After a night of drinking, it is not uncommon to wake up with some bloating in your face. This bloating happens because, like caffeine, alcohol is also a diuretic. But alcohol is a far more effective diuretic, and it does indeed cause some dehydration. This dehydration causes you to hold onto more water everywhere (including your face).
Certain medications can also cause face puffiness. Long-term use of certain steroids, like prednisone, can cause a condition that doctors refer to as “moon face.” Finally, medical conditions can cause your body to store excess fat in your facial tissues. These conditions typically need to be treated by a doctor before you can see an improvement in the appearance of your face.
Conclusion
Nearly everyone loves their daily cup of coffee. The good news is that coffee does not make you fat, in your face, or anywhere else. You don’t need to give up your coffee. It is still important not to overindulge.
Make sure you drink water regularly too. Proper sleep is essential to avoid the accumulation of fluid in your face, upper body, and adequate amounts of exercise can minimize bloating as well. Coffee is an integral part of our lives that gives us the energy we need to start our day. And it turns out that it could be making us healthier!