What's the story with coffee and fat loss?

by Mickie
(Hudson, Quebec)

coffee and fat loss

QUESTION:

I'm confused. I've been reading some contradictory advice about including coffee as part of a fat loss diet. Some people say coffee is great for burning fat. Other say it does no good at all.

Do you have the answer?

Mickie


ANSWER:

Mickie, hi

Great question.

Does coffee help with fat loss? As far as I can tell, the answer is yes, probably.

Some of coffee's weight loss properties are just about losing weight, some are specific to fat loss.

First off, the caffeine in coffee increases your metabolic rate. Slightly. So it helps you burn more calories.

And, of course, black coffee is almost calorie-free and contains zero carbohydrates.

But it's caffeine's appetite-suppressant qualities that have led to its being included in so many weight-loss supplements.

And if you want caffeine, you're much better off getting it from coffee than from a cola. Remember the near-zero calories and the zero carbohydrates.

(Of course, if your idea of a good coffee is more like a Starbucks White Chocolate Frappuccino, you're looking at over 350 calories each time you drink one.)

The science on coffee as a stimulant and an appetitive suppressant is pretty solid.

The same can't be said for other claims made for coffee.

Some studies suggest that an extract from green coffee beans has amazing weight-loss properties. And there are people who swear by it.

In a study presented at the 243rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), Joe Vinson, Ph.D., and colleagues described how a group of overweight or obese people who consumed a fraction of an ounce of ground green coffee beans each day lost about 10 percent of their body weight.

But not all scientific studies agree about the efficacy of green coffee bean extract. In other words the jury is out on that one.

The latest weight-loss claims for coffee and, more specifically, fat-loss claims, come from David Asprey, the founder and CEO of Bulletproof Coffee.

Bulletproof coffee is a concoction of coffee, grass-fed butter and coconut oil.

Although Bulletproof Coffee generally has over 450 calories per cup, Asprey says he shed 80 lbs when he made it his sole item for breakfast.

According to him, "...it makes for the creamiest, most satisfying cup of coffee you've ever had. It will keep you satisfied with level energy for 6 hours if you need it, and because I’m having it for breakfast, I'm programming my body to burn fat for energy all day long!"

Again, not everyone agrees with him.

But there is enough evidence out there, even anecdotal evidence, to suggest that drinking coffee can absolutely help with burning fat as part of a weight-loss program.

Best of all, you can enjoy coffee for its great taste. Much better than taking a supplement in the form of a pill.

I hope this helps answer your question.

You can find out more about coffee and your health here.

Nick

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