A 4-week consumption of medium roast and dark roast coffees affects parameters of energy status in healthy subjects

•Regular coffee consumption induces long-term metabolic changes in healthy subjects.•Coffee roasting profile determines kind and magnitude of modification.•Caffeine is hypothesized to stimulate usage of fatty acids for energy production.•NMP-rich dark roast coffee more effectively elevated HDL-cholesterol.•Leptin, insulin and osteopontin concentrations vary according to coffee roast.

ScopeThis study intended to clarify whether two coffee brews, a market blend (MB) and a study blend (SB), containing equal amounts of caffeine, but differing in their contents of N-methylpyridinium, trigonelline and chlorogenic acids, differentially affect blood lipid profiles and glucose concentrations as well as blood platelet phosphodiesterase and lymphocyte energy charge potential in healthy volunteers.Methods and resultsIn this double-blinded, randomized, controlled cross-over intervention study, 84 healthy normal-weight female and male volunteers consumed 750 mL of medium roast MB and dark roast SB coffee per day for 4 weeks. Following MB and SB coffee intervention, plasma free fatty acid concentrations equally increased (p < 0.001) by 140 ± 187 μM and 178 ± 160 μM, respectively. Plasma glucose remained largely unchanged. Lymphocyte adenosine nucleotide analysis revealed a comparable rise in the energy charge potential, as calculated from ADP/ATP concentrations, adjusted to total adenosine nucleotides. Blood platelet phosphodiesterase activity was found decreased to about the same extent (p < 0.001). Levels of HDL-cholesterol, adiponectin, leptin, insulin and osteopontin were found to some extent differentially influenced by MB, respectively SB coffee.ConclusionThe results of this intervention study indicate that MB and SB coffees, although differing in contents of N-methylpyridinium, trigonelline and chlorogenic acids, largely exert similar biological effects as monitored by the biomarkers tested.