In this article
Overview
Coffee is loaded with caffeine which is thought to be an essential part of weight loss supplements and fat burning [1]
There is plenty of research on how caffeine can help with weight loss which we partly cover here and will do in greater depth [2].
Coffee & Weight Loss
Coffee as a whole contains more benefits for your body than just caffeine itself.
The Coffee bean contains many naturally occurring anti-oxidants and active ingredients which combined together, help make coffee a naturally powerful food. The 2-most important of these active ingredients include:
Caffeine – an ingredient that stimulates your nervous system and increases alertness and energy. Caffeine can help you lose weight by increasing your energy in the gym and increasing your metabolic rate and burn calories.
Chlorogenic Acid – the compound of coffee that is responsible for weight loss by reducing the absorption of carbs into your blood stream.
Coffee may delay carbohydrate absorption
Studies indicate the antioxidant Chlorogenic Acid found in caffeine can help improve blood sugar control by reducing the absorption of carbs after eating [3]. In doing so, your body produces less insulin and stores less glucose as fat.
Clinical trials show how chlorogenic acid-enriched coffee also increased weight loss and helped burn fat during sleep [4].
And the great thing is, this includes decaf-coffee which makes it perfect for those who may have sensitivity to caffeine or do not want the health risks associated with the high caffeine intake of coffee.
Coffee can mobilise fat and boost your metabolism
The caffeine in your cup of coffee increases levels of adrenaline hormone, which signals your fat cells to break down fat for energy [5].
At this point, your body is breaking down fat ready to use this for energy during training or creating a calorie deficit (eating less calories than you burn).
By increasing this fat burning, coffee also helps increase your metabolic rate.
You maybe tolerant to caffeine, but coffee can still help you lose weight
Through regular coffee /tea consumption, people become more insensitive to the kick provided by caffeine.
However, while you maybe more tolerant to caffeine, your body still may respond to the antioxidant Chlorogenic Acid. In a study it was found that regular coffee drinkers sustained less inflammation and adiponectin levels than non-regular drinkers [6].
Adiponectin is a protein hormone that helps regulate glucose levels and helps break down fatty acids. People who are overweight/obese usually have lower levels of this hormone. Drinking coffee (especially black coffee minus the sugar) may help with increasing adiponectin levels and lower the likelihood of storing glucose as fat.
Overview
Coffee can help you lose weight and burn off that unwanted belly fat. But you either commit to it or don’t, and it’s not the only way to lose weight.
The caffeine in coffee is active in helping you burn calories by raising your body thermogenic profile and increasing your alertness and energy to use during workouts.
For the regular coffee drinker, or if you can begin to make it a habit, coffee provides an effective solution to combine with a low-carb diet and regimented exercise program to help reduce inflammation, increase alertness and help you lose weight.
