FitDay Discussion Boards - Win the Weight Loss Challenge

"Green coffee" refers to the raw or unroasted seeds (beans) of Coffea fruits. Green coffee beans are cleaned, dried, roasted, ground, and brewed to make coffee. Coffee contains numerous compounds, most of which may have healthy benefits. The most recent study on green coffee bean was published in January 2012 in Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity. The study followed a group of 16 adults who supplemented with a special green coffee bean extract of chlorogenic acids at different dosages (either 700 or 1050 milligrams each day) for 12 weeks. All 16 adults were considered overweight, as demonstrated by a BMI of more than 25. The subjects lost an average of almost 18 pounds - this was 10% of their overall body weight and 4.4% of their overall body fat.

To evaluate the effects of the green coffee bean extract for The Dr. Oz Show, the show’s medical unit conducted a project under the guidance of experts including Dr. Caroline Apovian and registered dietician Kristin Kirkpatrick. It is the largest project the show has ever done.The show’s medical unit enlisted 100 women between the ages of 35 and 49 who were overweight with BMIs between 25 and 45. The ladies were not pregnant or breastfeeding and didn’t have any major health concerns including diabetes, or history of heart attack or stroke. These women received either the green coffee bean extract or a placebo, and were expected to take 400 mg capsules, thrice a day - half an hour before mealtime. No participant knew which pill they were given. Furthermore, the participants were instructed to not change their diet program, and to keep a food journal that would assist the Dr. Oz Show determine what these women were eating. After fourteen days, the research participants were weighed.

In two weeks, the group of ladies who took the green coffee bean extract lost, on average, two pounds. However, the group of ladies who took the placebo lost an average of one pound - possibly because they were more conscious of their diet for the two weeks they were required to keep a food journal.

Here’s a closer inspection at the results:

18 pounds lost over five months

A study in India discovered that people taking pills with green coffee bean extract lost around 18 pounds-10 percent of their body weight-over 22 weeks. The study, published in Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity, tested two doses of extract-700 and 1,050 milligrams per day.

Dr. Oz study: 2 pounds lost in 2 weeks:The Dr. Oz Show-the show’s Medical Unit responded to the craze with its own study. They included more people in their study-100 women, with the experiment running fourteen days. The score-women taking green coffee bean extract: 2 pounds lost … women taking inactive pills: 1 pound lost. Why so close? All participants kept a food journal, which may have made both groups “more aware of their diet.”

What the Studies Say

There are multiple studies showing positive results of the chlorogenic acid on metabolism and fat reduction efforts but perhaps the most popular study used to market green coffee bean extract is published in 2012 in the scholarly journal "Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy".

This study involved human subjects who consumed a high dose of green coffee bean extract supplement (1050mg) for two weeks, a low dose green coffee bean supplement (700mg) for two weeks, and a placebo for two weeks. There were two-week periods in between when the subjects did not take any of the three supplements. The research showed the green coffee bean extract supplementation led to decreases in body weight, body mass index, body fat percent, and even small decreases in pulse rate. There were no significant modifications in the diet or exercise of the subjects and the changes happened when the subjects were taking green coffee bean extract.

The potential weight-loss factor behind green coffee bean extract and the chlorogenic acid it contains may have to do with chlorogenic acid effects on sugar absorption from starch and on fat synthesis in the body. In a study published in 2007 in "The Journal of International Medical Research", researchers discovered that when human subjects consumed instant coffee enriched with chlorogenic acid, they lost weight as a result of decreased absorption of glucose sugar. There are many studies on mice or rats, such as the study published in "Biochemical Pharmacology" in 2013, showing that chlorogenic acid decreases fat synthesis and improves cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Potential Additional Benefits

Scientists are also studying other possible advantages of chlorogenic acid - it may also improve your mood. In the journal "Psychopharmacology", a study was published in 2012 suggesting caffeinated coffee enriched with chlorogenic acid and decaffeinated coffee enriched with a large amount of chlorogenic acid positively affected the mood and cognition of healthy seniors although, decaffeinated coffee enriched with a regular quantity of chlorogenic acid did not have significant effects.