Green Coffee Bean Extract: Brilliant or Bogus?

You may have seen the big experiment on TV, or the bottles lined up on the end caps at your local pharmacy, but it can be hard to find real, useful information on green coffee bean extract through the noise of e-mail offers and internet ads. What exactly is green coffee bean extract, and how does it work to help you lose weight?

Green coffee bean extract comes from the unroasted beans of the coffee plant. When the beans are processed to make coffee, we roast out the bitterness and add flavor, but destroy a compound called chlorogenic acid. It’s this chlorogenic acid that is believed to be responsible for the weight loss that has fueled the popularity of green coffee bean extract.

Studies have shown that chlorogenic acid slows the absorption of fat from food, and also stimulates metabolism. It has also been shown to inhibit an enzyme that promotes the formation of glucose in the liver, so it may even have an effect on diabetes and other glycemic disorders.

A small study from 2012 showed an average weight loss of 17 pounds in participants while taking varying doses of green coffee extract (up to 1,050 mg) versus a placebo. While more comprehensive studies need to be done, this finding shows that chlorogenic acid may be a contributing factor to real weight loss.

Chlorogenic acid is taken as a supplement, since the amount of green coffee we’d need to drink in order to get the dose of cholorogenic acid seen in the study would be huge, and it wouldn’t taste very good either. It’s recommended to look for a potency of at least 45% cholorogenic acid in order to aid weight loss. The recommended dosage is 1200 mg of chlorogenic acid, or at least 400 mg before each meal.

Our favorite green coffee bean extract is the Nature’s Dynamics Organic Green Coffee Extract. Not only does it contain 1200 mg of 45% chlorogenic acid per 2-capsule serving, but it also offers a proprietary energy and wellness blend that includes organic ginseng and other antioxidant rich spices and botanicals to support healthy energy, blood sugar & stress levels, and aid in weight loss.

While green coffee bean extract needs more study, and may not be the magic bullet to weight loss that some claim, it can lead to real weight loss when taken in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise.