Alright, so we’ve talked about Green Tea Extract as one of the millions of supplements that promise weight loss, now let’s talk coffee. Java, joe, wake up juice – it has lots of names, and we’re all pretty familiar with it. But can it help you lose weight?

What is it?

It goes by several names: Svetol and GCA (green coffee antioxidant) are the most common, but coffee bean extract, more specifically “green coffee bean extract,” is just that. It is the extract from green coffee beans, which are the seeds of the Coffea canephora plant. The beans are still green when the Svetol/GCA is extracted because they haven’t been roasted yet.  The roasting that gives it the dark color we’re familiar with actually takes out the chlorogenic acid, the ingredient that is thought to potentially aid in weight loss.

How does it work?

The chlorogenic acid and caffeine in green coffee bean extract are said to be the biggest factors in potential weight loss. We’ve heard about the caffeine factor before. Some research as shown that caffeine can possible raise metabolic rate anywhere from 3 to 11%, which could cause slight weight loss.

The chlorogenic acid is what we are hearing a lot about now. Many papers have suggested that the chlorogenic acid may beneficially alter cholesterol levels in the blood and could even alter glucose uptake. Some research has shown that by altering glucose uptake in the intestines, chlorogenic acid can decrease caloric input from carbohydrate consumption. Basically, some research shows that taking large amounts of green coffee bean extract might be similar to eating a low carb diet.

Dr. Oz spent an entire show discussing how it was “the new miracle weight loss supplement.” However, the entire show was based off of one research paper, which has since been formally retracted. Now that particular episode of Dr. Oz has disappeared off the Internet entirely. This has been the case with a lot of research about green coffee bean extract. There has been very little research done on the product, and what has been done was mostly by companies that will profit off of the sales of green coffee bean extract.

What do I do about it?

Hold off on adding this supplement to your diet for now. A lot more research needs to be done by more reputable sources for it to be a believable weight loss supplement.  A key thing to keep in mind when buying supplements like this is to this: If they can make money off of you buying it, they’ll do all that they can to sell it to you. Make sure you always check multiple sources – just to make sure you have all the information you need to make an informed decision.

-Anna Catherine Caldwwell, Intern