Significant Weight Loss from Green Coffee Beans

A study presented at the yearly meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) demonstrated that consumption of green coffee bean extract over a 22-week study period resulted in a 10 percent reduction in body weight – a rather dramatic finding for a single nutrient.

The ingredient in green coffee beans that appears to be assisting weight loss is called chlorogenic acid, which is lost when the coffee beans are roasted. The study tested two doses of green coffee bean extract: 700 mg per day and 1,050 mg per day. During the study each participant took the lower dose for six weeks, the higher dose for six weeks, and the placebo for six weeks. The participants were aged 22 to 26 and made no dietary or exercise changes during the study period. The average amount of weight lost during the study was 17 pounds, which the researchers felt might have been more if the study participants had taken the higher dose for the entire study period.

The study weaknesses were that it was in a small group of 16 overweight people and the participants were younger (meaning their metabolism may respond better compared to middle age). Nevertheless, these findings are rather impressive.