Green Coffee Bean Extract & Weight Loss

You may have heard rumors about green coffee bean extract pertaining to weight loss. Green coffee bean extract has quickly become one of the most popular weight loss supplements; it contains a substance called chlorogenic acid, which is believed to be responsible for weight loss effects, but what's the real deal?

First of all, green coffee beans are basically just unroasted coffee beans. Coffee beans are naturally green, and get their brown hue after being roasted. They're chock-full of antioxidants, the two most significant ones being caffeine and chlorogenic acid. Chlorogenic acid is believed to be the main ingredient in green coffee beans, which is what produces the oh-so desired weight loss effect, but most of it is removed during roasting. That's why you won't experience weight loss when you drink coffee.

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Various studies have been done on mice and rats, and they showed that chlorogenic acid can reduce the absorption of carbohydrates from the digestive tract, which in turn lowers blood sugar and insulin spikes. Taking green coffee bean extract as a supplement would basically be like eating a low-carb diet. Studies have also found that chlorogenic acid can reduce body weight, reduce fat absorbed from your diet, reduce fat stored in your liver, and improve the function of the fat-burning hormone called adiponectin. Other health benefits include improved cholesterol and triglycerine levels, which are risks of heart disease.

Other studies were performed on humans and found that chlorogenic acid can indeed lead to significant weight loss. Human studies also found that green coffee bean extract can also improve your glucose metabolism and reduce blood pressure, which is good news for those at risk for diabetes or heart disease. However, it is important to know that those studies were small, short-term and industry-sponsored, which means that we aren't seeing the whole picture.

While green coffee bean extract most likely would not hurt to try out, it would be best to wait on more scientific research about the supplement if you plan on taking it long-term. There is no way of telling how long the chlorogenic acid would have the desired effect on your body. Rotating carbs is a great habit to fall into if you're trying to lose weight!

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Source: Authority Nutrition