Few coffee drinkers can go a day without at least one Cup of Joe, but are they better off taking green coffee bean extract instead? While the side effects of taking green coffee pills are few, not enough studies have been done to support its benefits.
Green coffee bean is an unroasted coffee bean which contains caffeine and an antioxidant called chlorogenic acid. The chlorogenic acid is reduced in regular coffee when it is roasted.
The extract has been controversial since being marketed as the latest weight loss pill, notably during a 2012 episode of The Dr. Oz Show. Dr. Oz described it as, "The green coffee bean that burns fat fast," and claimed that no exercise or diet is needed,
according to FitDay.
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While parts of that scientific study have since been retracted, the debate over GCE's power continues. There are some known benefits.
"There's some data in the research to support the idea that chlorogenic acid in the green coffee bean can have an effect on body weight and fat loss," Lona Sandon, R.D., assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the
University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas tells Men's Fitness.
Although no significant side effects were detected through multiple studies, the long-term safety of green coffee bean extract remains unknown. The tests also look at the extract's safety for people with heart disease or those taking prescribed medications.
From the limited data, it's difficult to determine whether taking the extract should replace a good cup of your favorite coffee.
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"(Chlorogenic acid) is thought to block fat accumulation, boost weight loss, curb carb absorption, and help regulate post-meal blood sugar levels,"
writes nutritionist Cynthia Sass, for Shape Magazine, in 2012. "In addition, green coffee extract does not taste or smell like coffee, a supposed benefit for those who don't enjoy java."
As to whether it works, Sass wrote that the "evidence is pretty scant. One 2012 study made a big splash when it found that subjects who consumed 1,050 mg and 700 mg doses lost about 16 pounds in six weeks compared to a placebo group."
She added, "However, the study was criticized because it involved such a small number of subjects — only 16 — and it was funded by a green coffee bean extract manufacturer. An independent analysis of three randomized clinical trials that included a total of 142 participants concluded that the effect of green coffee extract is only moderate at best, and the studies were poorly conducted."
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