Green Coffee Beans May Fight Obesity

1. Chlorogenic Acid Found In Green Coffee Beans May Fight Obesity

2. Chlorogenic acid is a natural ingredient found in many plants, but most notably in black tea and raw coffee beans. This polyphenol antioxidant holds promise in many aspects of health and cognition. Its effects are somewhat similar to Caffeine, but less potent. Chlorogenic acid has however become the most talked about phytochemical in recent times thanks to its ability to promote weight loss as a carb-blocker.

3. Not only that it decreases the absorption of fat and glucose in the gut, but it can lower insulin levels - which in turn improves metabolism function - potentially exerting an anti-diabetic and anti-obesity effect. Since it slows the glucose absorption, the insulin spike after eating is as a result also reduced. Glucose production in the liver is likewise reduced, while the uptake of glucose in muscle tissue is increased. All this may translate in reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and liver disease.

4. Chlorogenic acid, scientific studies show, may also protect against Alzheimer's disease and nerve degeneration, and improve mood and cognitive abilities. It lowers mildly elevated blood pressure, and is a mild laxative and a stimulant. Studies done on rats suggest that it may lower cholesterol and improve the glucose tolerance. Chlorogenic acid could - most interestingly for the general public and the dietary supplement industry - reduce fat and body mass, increase fat burning, and even prevent new fat cells from forming.

5. What are the potential risks? In high doses, chlorogenic acid elevates the concentration of an amino acid called homocysteine in plasma - which is a risk predictor of cardiovascular disease, so it is speculated that ingesting too much of it may raise heart disease risk. It has not been proven though that reducing the elevated homocysteine levels actually improves the cardiovascular outcomes.

6. Besides in coffee, and especially green (unroasted) coffee beans, it is an active ingredient in tea, bamboo, potatoes, eggplant, tomatoes, apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, prunes, blueberries, strawberries, honeysuckle, hawthorn and sunflower leaves. Green coffee beans are without a doubt the most abundant natural source. Since the coffee from unroasted coffee beans makes for a very bitter and unpalatable drink, green coffee is consumed as an extract in the form of a dietary supplement.

7. You can find chlorogenic acid - as green coffee extract - in a myriad of different diet pills, various dietary supplements that are supposed to give you an energy boost, and even in a low-calorie drink in Starbucks. Research into chlorogenic acid and its effects on obesity is however just beginning.

8. Sources: http://youtu.be/1ppGTuG4kg8 http://ezinearticles.com/?Chlorogenic-Acid-Found-In-Green-Coffee-Beans-May-Fight-Obesity&id=8270211