Green Coffee Bean Extract and Weight Loss
By K. Angelo
Can green coffee beans really help people lose weight? According to the results of a recent 22 week study performed in India, it may be true. The purpose of the study was to find the effectiveness and safety of a commercial green coffee extract product called GCA, provided by Applied Food Sciences, Inc. out of Austin, TX.
The study consisted of 16 overweight subjects (8 males and 8 females) aged 22-46 years. The study subjects received high, low and placebo doses of the green coffee bean extract (GCA) over the course of six weeks with a two-week reprieve. All 16 subjects experienced weight loss, had decreased their percentage of body fat and had a reduction in BMI (Body Mass Index) with no momentous change in their diet. All subjects completed the program and experienced no side effects from the GCA. So far, the results are consistent with both human and animal studies in the analysis of green coffee bean extract and weight loss. Based on the results from this particular study, it is suggested that GCA could be an inexpensive nutraceutical supplement to help reduce weight in pre-obese individuals and a possible way to prevent obesity in overweight adults.
So what is it about green coffee bean extract that helps aide weight-loss? Researchers believe it's the natural chlorogenic acids and other antioxidants contained inside the coffee beans. However, in order to obtain weight loss results, the beans must remain in un-roasted "green" form. Once the beans are roasted, the effectiveness of the chlorogenic acids is diminished. GCA, the product used in this particular study, contains high concentrations of chlorogenic acids. These acids are known to have several health benefits and understood to influence glucose and fat metabolism. Chlorogenic acid, also found in green tea extract and other plants and fruits, is a natural antioxidant which slows the amount of glucose into the bloodstream after food consumption.
Other studies of green coffee extract have been conducted on both human and animals in the recent past. So far the results have concluded similar results. Obviously more research needs to be done before it is conclusive that green coffee extract is the miracle for weight loss. On the upside, however, if results continue to be the same, we can expect to see a continued flood of green coffee bean extract products to hit the market. The question being then would be which products will be the most effective and how to know the difference.
