When you think of coffee beans, what comes to mind? Most likely an image of a round and dark brown bean. This is the type of bean that most coffee shops used to make their espresso, latte, and other popular coffee beverages.
However, have you ever heard of green coffee beans? If you haven’t, then keep on reading to know more about this unique cousin to the common roasted coffee bean.
What Is Green Coffee?
To put it simply, green coffee beans are beans that are raw and have not been roasted.
You can often find people consuming green coffee extract for dietary purposes, but you can also buy whole green coffee beans. These whole beans are usually used to make hot drinks, similar to regular roasted beans.
However, coffee extracted from green coffee beans is very different from the common roasted beans-based coffee. The drink will be light green and have a softer taste, somewhat closer to herbal tea rather than typical coffee.
Looks and flavour are not the only things that differentiate green bean coffees from roasted bean coffees. Coffee brewed from raw green coffee beans has a much higher chlorogenic acid content. This is the acid responsible for providing antioxidants to your body and also carry anti – inflammatory properties.
Roasted coffee also contains a small amount of chlorogenic acid, but most of it is lost along the roasting process.
Green Coffee And Weight Loss
The connection between green coffee extract and weight loss was first floated by celebrity physician Dr Oz back in 2012. Since then it has been one of the most popular weight loss supplements available on the market.
Studies undertaken on mice seem to support this theory. Mice that were treated with green coffee extract experienced considerable reductions in body fat and fat accumulation.
However, there has not been a properly designed and executed study done on humans. The experiments carried out so far had inconclusive results with some participants losing weight while others experienced no visible change.
In order to firmly establish green coffee extract as a potent weight loss supplement, better designed studies will need to be carried out.
Green Coffee And Chronic Diseases
Early studies have found great promise in using green coffee extract as a method to reduce the risk of chronic diseases. In the experiment, 50 people with conditions that increase the risk of developing chronic illnesses, such as high blood sugar and blood pressure, consumed 400 mg of decaf green coffee extract every day.
After 2 months, the group displayed overwhelming reductions in blood sugar level, stabilisation of blood pressure, and slimmer waists. More research is required to definitively confirm this result, but consuming green coffee bean extract seems to be a great way to reduce your risk of experiencing chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart problems.
Possible Side Effects of Green Coffee
Just like most things in life, there are 2 sides to every coin.
There may be some great benefits to consuming green coffee extract but there are also a few possible downsides / side effects.
The first one has to do with caffeine. Just like roasted coffee beans, green coffee also naturally contains caffeine. Consumption of caffeine (especially over – consumption) can lead to several side effects ranging from mild inconvenience to potentially dangerous. This includes insomnia, restlessness, anxiety, irregular heartbeat, and increased blood pressure.
Another possible side effect of green coffee is that it may deteriorate bone health. Over a 2 month experiment, mice that are given a daily dose of green coffee bean extract experienced severe calcium depletion and loss of bone tissue. There has never been a human study done on this subject, but it surely is needed.
Recommended Green Coffee Dosage
There is no widely accepted “safe” daily green coffee consumption amount. However, many experts recommend you never ingest more than 400 mg of green coffee extract daily and never more than 200 mg per serving.
