Just when you weren’t able to make up your mind over black coffee or latte, there came another kind of coffee that has already gained much popularity among fitness enthusiasts, and the fame is only increasing by the day. You guessed it, we are talking about green coffee. For the uninitiated, it’s coffee in unroasted form. In other words, it doesn’t undergo the roasting process like other coffee beans. Due to this, they have a higher amount of chlorogenic acid, which is said to have tremendous health benefits. These beans are also light green in colour, and nowadays, you can find green coffee jars and pouches anywhere in grocery stores and online. But are they really worth the hype, especially when it comes to weight loss? What about caffeine and calories? But before that, let’s understand the overall health benefits of the beverage.
Chlorogenic acid is said to have many beneficial effects on the body, one of which is hypertension management. According to certain studies, the coffee bean roasting process reduces the content of chlorogenic acid in the beans. With green coffee bean extract, you keep the chlorogenic acid intact and maintain your cortisol levels in check, which further helps keep your BP in check and your heart healthy.
Not just BP, it also helps prevent blood sugar fluctuations. As per a study, combined with healthy eating habits, drinking green coffee bean extract three to four times a day may reduce your risk of Type 2 diabetes by as much as 30%. It goes without saying, green coffee also does its bit to keep you rejuvenated. The caffeine content in a glass of green coffee and black coffee is more or less the same. Green coffee is also known to be a natural mood booster, facilitating the release of dopamine, the ‘feel good hormone’.
And now coming to the big question, ‘what about weight loss’?, “Drinking coffee is a common way people choose to boost their weight loss. The caffeine in coffee helps gym-goers complete their intense workouts while stimulating thermogenesis. The temporary reduction in the desire to eat helps keep you from munching on your favourite snack and packing on the calories,” says nutritionist and yoga expert Namit Tyagi, who is also the Chief Product Officer at Neuherbs.
A lot also depends on how you take your coffee. If you cut down on dairy and remove sugar from the equation, a cup of green coffee is just as nutritious as the ‘low-cal’ drinks you are looking to load up on. “The recommended dose is 1 cup of green coffee per day (½ hour before any meal, if one is targeting weight loss or ½ an hour after meal to manage blood sugar levels). It can also be replaced as a morning drink to boost metabolism and as a pre/post-workout drink to feel energetic. The chlorogenic acid in green coffee also supports weight loss by giving a boost to metabolism and accelerating fat loss,” Namit adds.
