RSS
Green Coffee Bean Supplement: A Wonder Diet Drug?
Karen Cicero
Green Coffee Bean Supplement: A Wonder Diet Drug?
Losing weight without eating less or exercising more -- well, that's just my dream.
So a couple of weeks ago when I heard Dr. Oz call green-coffee supplements a "miracle pill to burn fat," I had to get details, for you and me.
I admit I had no clue what green coffee even was. Turns out, it's just unroasted coffee beans -- you know, before Starbucks gets its hands on them!
Researchers at the University of Scranton rotated giving men and women 700 milligrams (mg) of the coffee bean supplement, 1050 mg of the supplement and a placebo (fake pill) during the 22-week study. The participants weren't asked to change their diet or exercise habits. Despite consuming an average of 2,400 calories per day (that's way more than I usually eat), they lost 7 to 26 pounds, averaging a 17-pound drop.
The researchers think chlorogenic acid -- a compound that affects the metabolism of sugar -- may account for the weight loss. It's in green beans, but breaks down during the roasting process.
Still, the results sounded a little too good to be true. I wanted to get a second opinion from Dr. David Katz, founding director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center. "Is the supplement safe?" I asked Katz.
"This is an extract of 'unripe' coffee beans and is safe, to my knowledge -- with caffeine being the only real concern," he told me. "But I think the net effect on weight will be very modest at reasonable doses … and at high doses, the side effects of caffeine will prove limiting. No magic here!"
Bummer! The researchers at the University of Scranton are planning a larger, more carefully controlled study, so I think I'll wait for the results of that until I bite, I told Katz.
"Better use of feet and forks are still the best bets," he reminded me, meaning that exercising and controlling your portions are still the way to go when you want to lose weight. And then he left me with this silly music video, Unjunk Yourself, and I had to share it with you:
Unjunk Yourself
Dr. Katz and three of his kids made it to promote healthy eating and exercise for tweens and teens. I watched it with my 9-year-old daughter and we had a mini-dance party. That was more fun than those green-coffee supplements any day.
Photo: @iStockphoto.com/chictype
- 11 Proven Weight Loss Tips
- Choose Whole Foods First, from Grains to Fruits
- Green Coffee Bean Supplement: A Wonder Diet Drug?
- Want to Eat Healthier? Visualize It!
- Best Supplements for Strong Teeth
- Are You Brushing Your Teeth Wrong?
- Should Supersize Soda Be Banned?
- Summer Party Foods That Can Make You Sick
- 7 Kitchen Mistakes That Cause Food Poisoning
- Can Snoring Really Kill Me?
- Your Worst Bad Breath Situations -- Solved
- Have You Had Your Shingles Shot?
- The Surprising Health Benefits of Texting
- What's the Healthiest Yogurt?
- Are Canned Foods Good for You?
- Is There Such a Thing as a Healthier Cigarette?
- Massage Away Allergies with these Expert Moves
- Say Goodbye to Computer Strain
- Prevent Hearing Loss -- Before It's Too Late
- Train Your Brain to Crave Healthy Foods
- Broken Heart Syndrome: A Real and Dangerous Condition
- Beat Canker Sores Now
- Eating for Healthy Aging: Adopt an Anti-Inflammatory Diet
- Stress-relief Methods for Every Occasion
- Natural Energy Drinks That Work
- Fish Oil: The One Benefit You Haven't Considered
- Can Skipping Breakfast Raise Your Diabetes Risk?
- FDA Seeks to Tame Exploding Medical App Market
- Why You Shouldn't Work at Night
- Do Dental X-rays Cause Cancer?
- Nutrient Timing: When to Eat What for Maximum Nutrition
- 3 Simple Meditations to Help You Focus
- Herbs That Boost Flavor and Your Health
- The Latest Superfoods You Need to Know About
- Want a Better Smile? Eat This
Copyright © 2012 Studio One Networks. All rights reserved.
