Could coffee help you lose weight?
11th March 2011
Need to give your weight loss efforts a boost? It might be time for some coffee. Don’t reach for a cappuccino though, because roasted coffee beans don’t contain much in the way of chlorogenic acids. In scientific research, these compounds, found in significant quantities in unroasted green coffee beans, have been shown to promote and enhance weight loss. Read on to learn more.
Go for the green beans
Coffee is famous for its caffeine, but also contains around the same quantity of chlorogenic acids. If you’re looking to drop a few kilos, it’s these compounds that may enhance your weight loss diet and exercise plan.
If you’re a regular coffee drinker, you’re probably already consuming around 0.5-1 gram of chlorogenic acid per day.
Unfortunately though, that’s not likely to be enough to harness the weight loss benefits. Up to 90% of the chlorogenic acid in coffee is destroyed during the roasting process, so to get optimal intakes of chlorogenic acid, you really need to take coffee in its unroasted or green state.
Green coffee extract supports weight loss
For example, in a study involving 30 overweight people, half switched their regular coffee for a version boosted with
green coffee extract (providing 450-500 mg of chlorogenic acid per day), while the other half continued to drink regular
coffee. The participants who consumed the green coffee extract lost an average of 5.4 kg over 12 weeks (even though
they didn’t change their diets or exercise routines), and approximately 80% of the weight lost was from fat. In contrast,
the people who continued to consume regular coffee lost only 1.7 kg over the same period.
So, how does green coffee extract work?
It’s all to do with blood sugar. Green coffee extract and the chlorogenic acid it contains appear to inhibit the absorption of glucose in the intestines, slow down glucose breakdown, and limit the amount of glucose that’s released into the circulation.
Researchers have hypothesised that this combination of metabolic effects results in the release of triglycerides (fats) from body fat stores, which can then be burned as a source of energy, ultimately resulting in weight loss.
Focus on blood sugar balance
Other natural ingredients that support blood sugar balance via different mechanisms may be beneficial for weight loss too.
For example, green coffee extract is often taken with Bitter melon, which has traditionally been used to aid blood sugar management. Amongst other effects, it promotes pancreatic function, enhances cellular uptake of glucose, and helps the body to use insulin effectively.
The mineral chromium also supports the body’s metabolism of fats, carbohydrates and blood glucose. It is considered especially beneficial when taken with biotin, magnesium and zinc, all of which are also involved in the body’s blood sugar regulating pathways. These nutrients are often accompanied by vitamin C (which aids chromium absorption and has antioxidant properties).
Of course, supplements alone are not the answer to weight loss. It’s also recommended that you stick to a low calorie or low glycemic index (low-GI) diet, and that you participate in regular exercise.
If you are diabetic or have problems with blood sugar management, talk to your doctor before changing your diet or taking supplements that may affect your blood sugar balance.
