It seems every few moments we are bombarded with the latest and greatest product for losing weight. These products always come with promises of the most effortless weight loss that you have ever experienced, and that you will feel great the entire time you are losing weight.
The weight loss industry in the United States alone is an over $70 billion behemoth and is showing no signs of slowing in the coming years. Weight loss is hard, and when something is hard, it’s human nature to try and find another way.
In the realm of weight loss supplements Green Coffee Beans are among the first choices and have become one of the most sought-after “Miracle Pills”, so to speak, for losing weight and burn fat, but is it really worth a try?
Since the 1970s, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began documenting obesity rates, the number of obese adults and children in the United States has more than doubled.
This stunning figure suggests over two-thirds of American adults are classified as obese or overweight while one-third of children are classified as carrying excess body fat.
In an attempt to offset this devastatingly high percentage, the American government and private sector advocacy groups have begun intensive marketing campaigns for living a healthy life.
While eating a balanced diet and undergoing regular exercise are essential components to gaining a healthier body, scientists have found the compounds within green coffee beans may enhance overall fat loss. But how exactly does this common ingredient aid in weight loss? Moreover, what exactly are green coffee beans?
Green Coffee Beans – A Basic Understanding
In a nutshell, green coffee beans are coffee beans that haven’t undergone the roasting process. Not only does this process render the raw beans their natural greenish hue, but compounds believed by researchers to provide medicinal benefits are left intact. These compounds, chlorogenic acid are noted as having several key factors in how sugar is processed within the human body.
Another benefit found by scientists is the potential cardiovascular system boost provided by this chemical. By introducing these compounds in higher concentrations, it’s possible to protect not only your heart but also other various functions sensitive to plant-based chlorogenic acid. Noted as a polyphenol within scientific circles, chlorogenic acid works within the human body to reduce the absorption of glucose, or sugar.
These findings were recently popularized by the high-acclaimed television show, “Dr. Oz.” Within this particular episode, the use of green coffee bean extract was touted as being an effective weight loss aid, but how effective is it really?
Green Coffee Beans and Weight Loss – The Studies
While countless personal testimonials fill the pages of green coffee bean proponents, what does the scientific community have to say about this herbal supplement and its effects on weight loss?
It has already been shown that drinking coffee itself can prevent weight gain, or more importantly, for many of us, help to shed a few pounds. What remains unknown is how much of this effect is related to the caffeine found in coffee, and how much of this effect is associated with the green coffee extract.
With caffeine being a stimulant that is already known to induce some weight loss, it is very important to isolate the active components from the green coffee bean extract as much as possible from the caffeine.
Research has been conducted on this very question, and the results are not exactly discouraging. The thought process is that chlorogenic acids change the rate at which your body releases a variety of hormones.
As a result of this change, the way your body absorbs sugar in the intestines becomes slower, and the hope is that the result is that fewer calories are incorporated into the body.
A journal article published in Gastroenterology Research and Practice took a look at studies that have already been completed and then picked from the ones that had controls in place which should result in reliable data, and tracked the weight of the participants in the studies.
Using these studies, they were able to examine the effects of Green Coffee Bean Extract on approximately 140 individuals. This is not a large sample size, of course, but the results were surprising!
The studies that the article relied on found that green coffee bean extract affected the levels of sugars and fats in the blood for both animals and humans. Green coffee bean extract was shown to have antioxidative properties, and it was suggested that as a result of various changes in the hormonal state of the subjects, some weight loss was observed.
Perhaps the most interesting study researched the effects of green coffee beans for weight loss in a group of 16 men and women. These overweight participants were given either green coffee bean supplements or a placebo.
At the conclusion of this 22-week study performed by the University of Scranton, participants who took the bean extract lost an average of 17 pounds while the placebo group failed to reach this same number.
Although it’s easy to assume the weight loss could be attributed to the bean caffeine content, director of the study, Joe Vinson, Ph.D., believes the results are not due to the energy-enhancing benefits of caffeine, but rather the supplements ability to decrease the absorption and subsequent processing of sugars.
Let’s take a look at another study for green coffee beans for weight loss. As stated earlier, Dr. Oz created an entire segment of his show based on green coffee bean extract. To support his claims, he set off to create his own “study.”
Throughout the course of two weeks, Dr. Oz provided 100 women with either 400 milligrams of green coffee bean extract or a placebo. At the conclusion of the study, participants who ingested the green coffee beans lost an average of two pounds while the placebo group only lost an average of one pound. Although these findings were not overseen by a group of scientists, they mimic the results found in University-sponsored research experiments.
Is Green Coffee Bean Extract a Viable Option?
Like any weight loss supplement, it’s important to understand the aforementioned results are not applicable to every person. How your body handles green coffee beans for weight loss cannot be predicted.
While studies are limited, and further investigation is required to fully understand the scope of benefits vs. any potential dangers, it seems green coffee beans may assist in your overall weight loss goal.
If you’re interested in trying out this weight loss supplement, follow the dosage found in most studies – 700 to 1,050 milligrams per day. It’s important to note that green coffee beans contain caffeine.
Therefore, if you’re sensitive to caffeine or have cardiovascular ailments, speak with your doctor before starting a supplementation routine. This is exponentially important if you’re taking any medications, as herbs can negatively interact with prescription medicines.
Although the answer to complete weight loss is living a healthy lifestyle, green coffee beans for weight loss may provide the extra “boost” to help shed your unwanted weight. Remember, treat your body kind and it will serve you well.
