#HealthBytes: Green coffee for weight-loss - Fact or fiction?
Whether coffee is beneficial or detrimental to health has been the subject of a long-drawn debate, which still rages. However, of late, another debate surrounding coffee has come into the mainstream - this time, about a greener version of it. Many believe that 'green coffee' is a weight-loss miracle, others say there are no concrete facts. So, fact or fiction? Here, we decode.
How did the debate start, anyway?
The debate began in 2012 after 'The Dr. Oz Show' claimed that green coffee beans facilitated weight-loss without diet or exercise. The claim that green coffee was a "magic weight-loss cure" was based on a 22-week-long study that explored the efficacy of commercial green coffee extracts in preventing obesity among 16 people. Later, the study was found to be seriously flawed and commercially motivated.
Why is it claimed that green coffee helps in weight-loss?
Green coffee extract comes off coffee beans that haven't been roasted yet. Coffee beans, in general, contain chlorogenic acids, a compound that has antioxidant effects, helps lower blood pressure, and aids in weight loss. Roasting coffee beans, as is the general practice, significantly reduces this chlorogenic content in coffee, thereby considerably reducing normal coffee's ability to aid weight-loss.
Studies have failed to conclusively establish green coffee's weight-loss potential
While there hasn't been comprehensive studies on green coffee extracts, chlorogenic acids and their ability to act as weight-loss supplements, some human studies have shown that green coffee extract might have weight-loss potential. Yet, the documented effects on weight-loss were relatively small. Additionally, the studies were poorly designed, and were short-term, so the weight-loss potential of green coffee couldn't be conclusively explored.
The side effects of green coffee are similar to coffee
Since green coffee extract contains caffeine, the same as what normal, roasted coffee beans do, the side effects of over-consumption are also similar. Common side effects of caffeine over-consumption include stomach upsets, increased heart rate, frequent urination, inability to sleep, anxiety, and restlessness. So, if you're a green coffee consumer, it's best to avoid excess consumption.
Green coffee: To drink or not to drink?
Evidently, while scientific studies have hinted at some weight-loss potential in green coffee, these studies have been far from conclusive. Yet, many claim that weight-loss is augmented when normal coffee is replaced with green coffee. Owing to the inconclusive nature of the findings, if you're choosing to go with green coffee, it's best to supplement that with tried-and-tested weight-loss methods like exercise and diet.
