Green Coffee Bean: Does It Support Weight Loss?

Green-Coffee-Bean-Lose-Weight

Green coffee bean is any unroasted seed from the Coffea plant. Globally, around 18.4 billion pounds of coffee beans are produced each year. Most of these beans end up roasted, brewed in hot water, then served in a cup. But some beans will escape this process, because the roasting process reduces the amount of chlorogenic acid found in the bean.

Some research suggests that chlorogenic acid may help with weight loss. Additionally, the unroasted green coffee bean may contain higher concentrations of other potentially beneficial medicinal compounds that aren’t found in roasted and brewed coffees. In fact, 30 other chemical compounds may also degrade when the beans are heated.

Potential health benefits of green coffee bean extract:

  • May provide antioxidants
  • Support for energy levels during physical activity
  • Support for detoxification
  • Support for a healthy metabolism
  • Promotes focus, learning and memory
  • Promotes wakefulness

If you enjoy drinking coffee, then you may already experience from some or all of these potential benefits. Except the brewing process alters some of the compounds found in the bean, as we see in the chart below.

Chlorogenic-acids-chart-green-coffee-bean
Credit: The Specialty Coffee Chronicle

In the chart, we see that chlorogenic acid found in green coffee bean sourced from different growing regions diminishes during roasting. Panamanian coffee beans start with the highest concentration of chlorogenic acid, but at the 21 minute mark the compound is nearly absent, with the same being true for the other beans.

Green Coffee Bean For Weight Loss

Several researchers are asking whether green coffee bean is good for weight loss. One study indicates that chlorogenic acid, as well as other compounds found in coffee, such as caffeine, may help to regulate digestion by disrupting glucose production. The body creates glucose from carbohydrates, which is a fuel source for the body. Glucose is either used as an immediate energy source, or turned into glycogen and stored in fat cells. As researchers note:

These results suggest that GCBE [green coffee bean extract] is possibly effective against weight gain and fat accumulation by inhibition of fat absorption and activation of fat metabolism in the liver. Caffeine was found to be a suppressor of fat absorption, while chlorogenic acid was found to be partially involved in the suppressive effect of GCBE that resulted in the reduction of hepatic TG [hepatic triglyceride] level.

Hepatic triglyceride describes the catalyzing effect of hydrolysis of fats, which allows the body to store these molecules as an energy source. By disrupting this process, it is believed that green coffee bean extract could potentially stop new fat cells from forming.

So is this the answer to weight loss we have all been looking for? Maybe and maybe not. Another group of researchers who also found positive results warn against reaching a conclusion without more research:

The evidence from RCTs seems to indicate that the intake of GCE can promote weight loss. However, several caveats exist. The size of the effect is small, and the clinical relevance of this effect is uncertain. More rigorous trials with longer duration are needed to assess the efficacy and safety of GCE as a weight loss supplement.

This statement echoes a lot of available research on the subject of green coffee extract used for weight loss. There is some evidence that suggests chlorogenic acid and other compounds found in unroasted coffee beans may provide support for weight management, but the exact biological processes and how much of these compounds we need to ingest before we see results hasn’t been established.

Green Coffee Bean Extract Supplements

While the weight loss effects of green coffee bean aren’t yet established, there is believed to be other potentially beneficial medicinal benefits to taking green coffee bean supplement. As we mention above, green coffee bean provides antioxidants, may support healthy energy levels, detoxification, metabolism, focus, learning, memory and wakefulness.

Check out some of the green coffee bean supplement below and see if they can make a difference in your life!

CoffeeGenic Green Coffee Extract 400 Mg from Life Extension may help maintain blood sugar already within the normal range, and support a several additional metabolic processes for feelings of health and wellness. Take this dietary supplement following meals for optimal delivery. Once ingested, this formula may interrupt the normal synthesis of nutrients into glucose and may support healthy weight management.

Green Coffee Extract 500 Mg from Source Naturals seeks to support a healthy immune system with 400-500 mg of chlorogenic acid from green coffee bean. This formula contains less than 5% caffeine. The antioxidants in this formula may provide support for a healthy cardiovascular system, support healthy weight management, blood pressure and blood sugar already within the normal range, a healthy metabolism and more!

What are your thoughts on green coffee bean extract? Have you ever taken a supplement or are you going to stick with brewed coffee? Let us know in the comments below.