Coffee consumption, particularly caffeinated coffee, predominantly exhibits anti-inflammatory effects, contrasting with caffeine's complex impact on inflammation.
The study analysed 15 clinical trials concerning the impact of coffee, caffeine, or coffee components on inflammatory markers. Of these, eight focused on coffee and seven on caffeine with no regard for publication date. These trials tested, under varying conditions, the effect of coffee or caffeine consumption against placebos, or compared inflammatory marker levels before and after consumption. There was no discrimination of the used coffee's processing method, whether filtered or medium/dark roasted.
The study discovered that, out of the seven trials comparing filtered coffee/caffeinated coffee with a placebo, or comparing baseline levels versus post-consumption, adiponectin levels increased in four. On the other hand, caffeine trials showed no change. C-reactive protein (CRP) levels remained unchanged in all five studies that considered the effects of coffee. Interestingly, only one out of three trials showed decreased CPR levels in reaction to caffeine. Additionally, Interleukin (IL)-6 level increased when caffeinated coffee was compared with placebo in one out of four coffee trials and with caffeine in three out of five studies. Finally, caffeine consumption resulted in increased IL-10 levels in two out of three trials.
