If you are one of the approximately 75% of Americans who regularly drink coffee, you will probably be interested to hear about a study I recently came across. In it, doctors in Japan randomly assigned overweight adults to drink one cup of black coffee per day with the only difference being that half the participants were given coffee low in chlorogenic acids, and half were given coffee high in chlorogenic acids (I will explain what this means momentarily).
After 12 weeks, the group receiving the higher chlorogenic acid coffee had lost a little bit of weight, and crucially, shrunk their visceral fat (the type of fat that most increases the risk for diseases such as diabetes and heart attacks), whereas the group drinking the regular coffee had not. Though this a relatively small study and only lasted for 12 weeks, the results are very promising, because it was a well-done randomized controlled trial, meaning that – other than the type of coffee being consumed – there really was no difference between the two groups. They were not otherwise instructed to exercise, change their diet, or do anything else that might have led to weight loss or improved health. Hence, it appears that consuming coffee high in chlorgenic acids might lead to a little bit of weight loss and to some metabolic health improvements. You can read the full study by clicking here.
Now, you are probably thinking: what the heck is chlorogenic acid? And how can I get my hands on some? Read on.
Chlorogenic acid is a polyphenol (a type of ant-oxdidant chemical compound found in plants) that exists in raw coffee beans. In other words, chlorgenic acids occur naturally in coffee. However, before coffee is sold, the beans are roasted to enhance the flavor and to make them brittle enough to grind, which is why even though raw coffee beans are green, the stuff we typically buy at the market is dark brown. However, there is a downside to this roasting process: the heat diminishes the chlorogenic acid content. As you might imagine then, a lighter roasted coffee will have more chlorogenic acid than a darker roast.
Therefore, to obtain coffee with higher chlorogenic acid content, simply purchase coffees marked “light roast.” (Sorry – on a flavor level, I love a good dark roast espresso, such as the type they serve in Italy or France. But science is science).
Another important caveat – and here I will really make some enemies – is that it’s best to drink your coffee black. Adding milk, creamers, or sweeteners can bind the chlorogenic acids and greatly decrease their absorption in your body.
You absolutely do not need to follow any of the advice in this post if you want to lose weight. In fact, it needs to be stressed that the weight loss benefits in the study were small, and certainly if you have a significant amount of weight you want to lose without resorting to medication, you are going to need to do the hard work of implementing a proper diet and exercise plan. You can’t just change your morning cup of Joe and expect to fix all of your problems. Believe me, I wish it were that easy.
However, if you already drink coffee each day and don’t mind switching to a light roast served black, then you may as well reap the benefits of doing so.
