Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Benefits on Taking Green Coffee Bean Extract Supplements

The popularity of green coffee bean extract instigated a range of studies about its benefits, particularly when it comes to weight loss. But, long before green beans became a topic of interest, coffee beans were researched for their effects on our health.
This interesting plant has a large number of active ingredients and there are very few alkaloids which are actually activated during the roasting of coffee. Most of active compounds of coffee are present in higher percentage in green beans than in beans that have been roasted. There is nothing in roasted coffee that does not exist in green coffee, except the flavor. Green coffee makes lousy, bitter beverage. 

Caffeine in coffee

Caffeine is the main ingredient in coffee that made this beverage so popular. Caffeine is an alkaloid with stimulating affect on our central nervous system. It is the most popular psychoactive drug and the only one safe and legal. Caffeine is toxic in doses over one gram, but most coffee drinkers do not take more than 500 milligrams. Most people drink coffee in order to stay awake and alert and to get a boost of energy when needed.
Caffeine is also a metabolic stimulant, the reason why so many weight loss supplements contain large doses of caffeine.
Several studies found that regular coffee drinking reverses cognitive impairment in elderly Alzheimer patients. Regular coffee drinking also reduced the risk of developing Alzheimers.
study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that regular coffee consumption may reduce the risk of developing gallstone disease due to its caffeine content.
Coffee drinkers are also less likely to develop Parkinson disease. Elderly people who regularly drank coffee tested better on verbal memory and visual and spatial reasoning.
A group of Japanese scientists published in 2009  the results of the study  conducted on 77,000 adults, finding that coffee consumption, due to its caffeine content, may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Caffeine blocks the negative effects of adenosine on dopamine in the brain, reducing the feelings of depression, actively acting as an antidepressant.

It is not all due to caffeine

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published findings of the study that confirmed that regular coffee drinking, with or without caffeine, significantly reduces the risk of the development of type 2 diabetes.
Chlorogenic acid is the second most powerful active ingredient of coffee. It  belongs to the phenolic acids, and as such acts as an antioxidants. Antioxidants are compounds that destroy free radicals, which are known to damage cell walls and cause a range of diseases. Chlorogenic acid is more powerful antioxidant than vitamin C. Chlorogenic acid is largely destroyed (70 percents) during the roasting of coffee.
A small study published in 2003 in the American Society for Clinical Nutrition concluded that coffee affects the secretion of gastrointestinal hormone production and glucose tolerance due to the combined effect of caffeine and chlorogenic acid.
A Brazilian study  published in 2008 found that chlorogenic acid in green coffee is beneficial for lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as acting as antibacterial and antiinflammatory agent.
Another small study conducted on 16 volunteers found that green coffee extract acts as a weight loss agent and that it lowered body fat percentage.
Similar study conducted by a Norvegian researcher confirmed these findings, concluding that the weight loss can be attributed to the reduction of the glucose absorption by the gastrointestinal tract due to the effects of chlorogenic acid in green coffee. The study concluded that the extended use of coffee enriched with chlorogenic acid can reduce body mass and body fat percentage.
A group of Chinese researchers published in 2012 the results of their study, based on the earlier findings that chlorogenic acid (CGA) delays intestinal absorption of glucose and prevents gluconeogenesis. The study found that chlorogenic acid boosts transport of glucose in skeletal muscles, and that it may have beneficial effects of type 2 diabetes. 

Difference Between Caffeine and Chlorogenic Acid

Most of us, in fact 90 percents of adult Americans, love our morning cup of coffee for its flavor: robust or mellow, strong or light, potent or decaffeinated, pure or with hazelnut, vanilla, chocolate or maca.
We have our special coffee makers, favorite ritual for making a perfect cup, preferred coffee shops and that special coffee cup. But, there is more to coffee than great flavor: coffee beans are rich in a number of active compounds: alkaloids, amino acids, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, phenols and many others.
They all affect our body in various ways. The best known, and most potent, are caffeine and chlorogenic acid. While caffeine is present in both green and roasted coffee beans and its content is not affected by the maturity of the beans or the temperature of roasting, about 70 percent of chlorogenic acid is lost during roasting. 

Addicted to caffeine

We could say that we are addicted to coffee, and there is a good reason for that: caffeine. Caffeine is the dominant alkaloid in both green and roasted coffee. This bitter xanthine alkaloid is a central nervous system stimulant, and we happily use it for its power. This powerful, but legal, psychotropic drug is what helps boost our alertness when we are tired, gives us a jolt of energy and keeps us awake long after we could without caffeine. Caffeine is toxic in doses over one gram, but most people do not go over 500 mg, whether from a cup of coffee or a caffeine-rich supplement.
Caffeine is used to improve athletic performance and endurance, but it might affect coordination in large doses.
In some people, caffeine causes insomnia, but in most it is well tolerated.
Taking more than 250 mg of caffeine daily can cause dependency or addiction, with symptoms such as heart palpitations, nervousness, restlessness, irritability, insomnia and headaches.
Caffeine has been extensively researched and the results show that regular consumption of coffee with caffeine generally increase longevity, and may help prevent a number of conditions including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, lower risk of type 2 diabetes and gallstones.
Caffeine is not only central nervous system stimulant, but stimulates our metabolism as well. This is the reason why large doses of caffeine are often present in weight loss supplements.

Green, antioxidant and good for your figure

Chlorogenic acid is the second most potent and important active compound in coffee, but it is only recently that it attracted more attention from scientists for its effects on our system. Chlorogenic acid belongs to phenolic acids, known antioxidants. Antioxidants destroy free radicals, compounds created when we break down food. Free radicals can damage cell walls and can cause a range of diseases.
Chlorogenic acid is more  powerful antioxidant than vitamin c, and its large percentage in green coffee beans (Arabica coffee contains 40 mg of chlorogenic acid per one gram of green coffee) means that green coffee beans are an inexpensive source of antioxidants.
A number of studies found that chlorogenic acid slows down the release of glucose into our blood stream. Less sugar in the bloodstream means less accumulation of fat. This makes chlorogenic acid an affordable and safe tool in the fight of obesity and a great weight loss supplement.
While all studies conducted so far on the power of chlorogenic acid to help with the weight loss are small, they are encouraging enough to warrant further studies.
Other studies show that chlorogenic acid helps prevent high blood pressure, improves glucose tolerance and reduces levels of cholesterol.
Chlorogenic acid in supplements is sometimes called GCA (green coffee antioxidant). When you see the percentage of GCA in supplements, it refers to the percentage of chlorogenic acid.

Green Coffee Extract and Scientific Studies and Tests

Obesity is considered one of the biggest health risks in the modern world. It doubled worldwide since 1980 and there are now more than 1.5 billion people on the planet who are obese or overweight. Extensive national campaigns promoting healthy diets rich in fruits and vegetables, combined with increased exercise are failing.
Scientists are increasingly turning to effective and inexpensive solutions derived from plants. While almost daily we learn about just another ancient plant that is offering miraculous weight loss power, green coffee is more researched than most and shows greatest promise. 

Claim to fame

Green coffee extract became all the rage as a weight loss ‘miracle pill’ after TV personality Dr. Oz promoted it on his program as the latest answer to the prayers of overweight people. Such popularity increased the sales, but its exaggerated claims made many people skeptical. After all, there is a new ‘miracle weight loss pill’ on the market almost daily. But, contrary to many other supplements, green coffee extract has been extensively researched and there is a range of reliable scientific studies which confirm the ability of the main active ingredient of green coffee extract – chlorogenic acid – to promote weight loss and improve a range of other health issues.

How it works

In a study published in 2003 in the American Society for Clinical Nutrition, a group of scientists from the Centre for Nutrition and Food Safety, School of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom, explored the glycemic effects of two main active compounds of coffee: chlorogenic acid and caffeine. They found that coffee acutely affects the secretion of gastrointestinal hormones and glucose tolerance. Their study confirmed their hypothesis that chlorogenic acid has an antagonistic effect on transport of glucose and that it might affect the rates of intestinal glucose absorption.
Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study was conducted by Joe Vinson and colleagues from the Chemistry Department, University of Scranton, to evaluate the safety and efficiency of a green coffee bean extract in 16 adults who were overweight. The results were published in Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity in 2012 and show a significant weight reduction up to 8 kg, more than 10% of the body weight and body mass drop between −2.92 ± 0.85 kg/m2. There was also notable change in body fat percentage of up to 2.00 percents.
Norwegian scientists Thom had similar results in his randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 40 obese volunteers, confirming that that the pathway for weight loss is in the reduction of the absorption of sugar in the gastrointestinal tract.

Not only weight loss

In 2008, American Society for Nutrition published results of the study conducted by a group of Brazilian scientists found that Chlorogenic Acids in the extract of Green Coffee are extremely Bioavailable in Humans – easily absorbed and metabolized. This paper underlined a number of benefits of chlorogenic acid in green coffee, such as lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes type 2. Chlorogenic acid was also found to have antibacterial and antiinflammatory properties.

Green Coffee in The Media

Media can kill or ignite the sale of a product, good or bad. Learning how to read the information in the papers and on the web requires a lot of critical reviewing and a dose of skepticism. Green coffee extract has attracted a lot of interest of scientists because of green coffee’s active ingredients, particularly chlorogenic acid.
Chlorogenic acid acts as an antioxidant, and has been found to slow the conversion of glucose and its release into the blood. This activity can significantly boost the weight loss efforts, together with reasonable diet and increased exercise. But, the extract became interesting to the consumers as a weight loss supplement only after TV host Dr. Oz decided to conduct an experiment on his own, in front of the TV audience. The sales of green coffee extract skyrocketed. The media reacted, as usual, in two ways: mocking the product, or promoting it loudly. 

Poor science and poor journalism

In the article in the Forbes magazine, Dr. Oz’s on-the-TV ‘research’ was laughed at and the green coffee bean extract was considered a waste of money. The reason was a small study which Dr. Oz used to support the benefits of green coffee extract. The Forbes’ writer found the study poorly conducted, and consequently concluded that the product is no good. The Dr. Oz’s experiment was called ‘a poor science.’ In the meantime, the writer made his conclusions on that same small study as Dr. Oz,  without investigating other, numerous, studies, on the benefits of green coffee.
Examiner reported that green coffee extract was one of the secret weapons Kim Kardashian used successfully in her efforts to lose weight after she had a baby.
Indian SBwire published several press releases about the benefits of green coffee extract and its success in helping people lose weight after other methods failed.
World News Report published in September 2013 the information about the release to the market of another green coffee extract product and described it as “the most powerful and effective fat burner among weight loss products.”

It is all the fault of Dr. Oz

On December 9, 2012, Canadian Globe and Mail published an article on the green coffee beans extract, questioning its ability to help in weight loss. The writer quoted several doctors and researchers, who criticized the much quoted study by Dr. Vinson and the TV show by Dr. Oz.   This was enough for the writer as well as quoted scientists to conclude that there is something wrong with the success of the green coffee extract supplement, without bothering to find other, better conducted studies.
In August 2013, US News published an article about the popularity of the green coffee extract as a weight loss aid, wondering about its effectiveness. The writer criticized claims that green coffee can make people lose weight without making healthy changes in the lifestyle, as well as the  poor quality of scientific studies conducted so far.
Today published in September 2013 an article about the buzz green coffee extract is causing in the media and in the weight loss supplement market. The writer did a good job examining a range of studies conducted so far, but concluded that the results are just not as big as media, starting with Dr. Oz, claims. At least the product is safe and harmless, the author concluded.
Most of information on the effects of green coffee beans extract available online comes from the distributors of various green bean products and their promoters. A number of private individual health blogs also commented on the power of green bean extract for weight loss.

Green Coffee Bean Extract – from The Tree to Your Medicine Cabinet

We love our coffee. It is one of the most popular beverages all over the world. According to the International Coffee Organization, an average American consumed in 2009 more than 9 lbs of coffee. Mostly, we love it for its flavor and for the energy buzz the caffeine in coffee gives us.
But, caffeine is not the only active compound in coffee. Green coffee beans contain a number of active compounds, of which chlorogenic acid is most important. Green coffee beans extract, with a minimum of 45 percents of chlorogenic acid, is getting a lot of attention by the scientists as well as consumers as a powerful tool in weight loss efforts. 

The power of coffee

Coffee is one of the most biologically active plants we use in our nutrition. Coffee contains a number of important alkaloids such as theophylline, theobromine, and paraxanthine. It is rich in proteins, free amino acids and carbohydrates. One of the most interesting ingredients in coffee – chlorogenic acid – is attracting a lot of interest lately. Chlorogenic acid is a phenolic acid, and as such a more powerful antioxidant than vitamin C. Besides boosting our immune system, chlorogenic acid has been found to be a powerful tool in fighting obesity. A number of studies show that chlorogenic acid helps weight reduction by controlling fat metabolism, lowering triglycerides in plasma, heart and liver and lowering cholesterol concentrations in plasma, heart and adipose tissue.

Green coffee beans

Coffee beans grow on a fairly large tree, all over the world. About half of it grows in South America. Coffee beans are in facts seeds of small, red berries called cherries. Each cherry contains two seeds. They are harvested mostly by hand, so that only the ripest fruits are chosen. When the yield is very high, machines are used to strip trees of all beans, ripe and green.  What we know as ‘green coffee beans’ are beans which are not roasted after they have been cleaned. Some of them, if picked immature, are green in color. The mature beans are reddish-brown. Dark brown coffee we know becomes dark during roasting process. Roasting enhances flavor and smell of coffee. Green coffee beans make very bitter drink.
After being harvested, coffee berries are processed. “Wet processing” means removing pulp from fruits by hand and the rest is soaked in water for a few days. This causes fermentation which dissolves the rest of the pulp or any other residue. The seeds are then washed and dried, or in the sun, or in drying machines. In the “dry processing” method, coffee fruits are dried in the sun for several weeks and the dried pulp is removed after.
Coffee seeds or beans are shipped green and to prevent spoilage, they have to be dried to about ten percents of moisture content.

Green vs. roasted coffee

If you like your coffee for its flavor, aroma and caffeine content, you should use it roasted. Roasting brings out the flavor and reduces bitterness of coffee. But, if you want coffee for the chlorogenic acid it contains, when trying to lose weight, you need green coffee beans. Roasting coffee destroys about 80 percents of its chlorogenic acid content. Green coffee has bitter flavor and cannot be used as a beverage. The best way to get most out of green coffee is by using its extract.
Manufacturers of green coffee bean extract use only the best quality dry green coffee beans from Coffea canephora robusta or Coffea arabica beans.
Most green coffee bean extracts contain very little caffeine and will not create jitters and other side effects caffeine can create. The best extract should not contain any filler or additive, just pure green coffee.

Fighting Fat, Aging and Inflammation All at Once: the Green Coffee Bean Miracle

Chasing beauty standards

We live in a society that is obsessed with youth and perfect silhouettes. Many women and men struggle every day in order to look like the stars promoted by the media. And to do so, they often start exhausting diets, starve themselves, exclude whole food groups and pop a couple of chemical weight loss supplements as well.
This process can become very frustrating as such a radical attitude towards food throws the body off balance. As a result, most people gain even more weight than they have lost within a few weeks. In addition to the fact that such diets are ineffective in the long run, they can also cause serious health issues like nutrient deficiencies, anemia, osteoporosis and digestive problems as well. 

Getting slimmer with green coffee beans

Fortunately, there are ways to achieve a healthy, thin and toned body naturally, by following a diet that does not deprive you of anything at all. All you need to do is add to your daily routine a high quality green coffee bean supplement. Green coffee beans contain a plant compound called chlorogenic acid. This compound has multiple benefits for the human body, as it prevents the absorption of glucose into the blood stream. This means no sugar spikes, which is great news for diabetics! It also means that, since the body is not getting any sugar to use for energy, it burns fat instead! Yes, faster fat burning! Plus, as there is no excess sugar in your body when you supplement with green coffee bean extract, there is nothing to be converted into fat and stored in your thighs and belly.
So basically, all you need to do is add a green coffee supplement into your diet and you will start losing weight, without making any other changes to your lifestyle. Keep in mind though, that if you survive on junk food, you might want to consider changing your diet for reasons other than weight loss. Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables as well as drinking plenty of water will help your body detox, your hair, skin and nails look better and of course, increase your weight loss rate!

Getting younger with green coffee beans

Green coffee beans contain potent antioxidants. You have probably read about antioxidants before, when looking into anti-aging creams, anti-aging diets or even diets to prevent inflammation and chronic diseases. The reason that antioxidants are so valuable for human health is the fact that they bind with free radicals. Free radicals are unstable structures that are missing electrons and will steal them from healthy cells, in order to stabilize. This is what causes aging as well as inflammation.
When you consume antioxidants, they bind with free radicals, preventing them from destroying your healthy cells. As green coffee beans are very high in antioxidants, supplementing your diet with their extract means that you help your body stay younger for a longer period of time and avoid inflammation, which can compromise your quality of life.

Staying healthy and fit the easy way

All you have to do in order to start effectively battling your weight issues is to add some chlorogenic acid into your diet. This will help you burn fat faster while the antioxidant content of the green coffee beans will help you look youthful. Just make sure that you get a high quality green coffee bean extract, as the internet is full of scams, trying to take advantage of this amazing plant.

Green Coffee Bean Extract: Get To Know The All-Natural Slimming Super-Food

Black coffee is good…

If you are a coffee lover after reading this article you will fall even deeper in love with coffee plants. It has already been proven that your daily cup – or cups – of coffee helps you load your body with antioxidants that protect you from a wide range of health issues.
Drinking black coffee regularly can help you concentrate, and may reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes as well as a number of other health benefits. As you already know, to get the best brew possible, you need to use those lovely-smelling freshly ground, roasted coffee beans. But did you know that those magical beans are even more beneficial for you if left un-roasted? 

…But green coffee is great!

What coffee trees actually produce are berries with a bright red color. Two green coffee beans can be found inside those berries and if roasted, they give us the basis for our favorite beverage. But if they get soaked in water and then concentrated, the green coffee bean extract is created. This extract, even though it is lower in antioxidants that roasted coffee beans, is richer in chlorogenic acid. This is a natural chemical substance that aids weight loss via a complex mechanism that works on many levels.
It also has many other health benefits, containing a high level of antioxidants. It helps prevent abnormal cell growth and it also helps the dilation of blood vessels, which means that it is a great natural way to regulate high blood pressure. And contrary to coffee, many green coffee bean extracts are low in caffeine and do not cause jitters or raise your stress levels. What’s even better is that green coffee bean extract does not actually smell or taste like coffee, so if you are one of the few people that hate coffee, you can still use it!

How does it help with weight loss?

Chlorogenic acid can be found in many plant compounds, but so far, it is observed in the highest concentrations in green coffee beans. It has been proven to slow down the process of absorption of glucose into the blood stream. This is why green coffee bean extract has great potential in the regulation and even treatment of type 2 diabetes. As it does not cause sugar spikes, it also protects you from intense cravings that can lead to the impulsive consumption of junk food and overeating.
Additionally, consuming chlorogenic acid makes it easier for your body to use fat as an energy source, instead of carbohydrates. This means faster fat burning! And since chlorogenic acid does not allow excess sugar to enter your bloodstream, your body will not be able to increase your fat storage. This means fast and natural weight loss without side effects.

And what is the downside?

Frankly, the only downside to using green coffee bean extract is that you might get spoiled by the effortless weight loss and neglect eating healthy and exercising. So enjoy your coffee extract but also remember to drink plenty of water, exercise mildly and you will love your body in no time!