The "coffee diet" is a weight-loss regimen emphasizing increased coffee consumption while following a calorie-restricted diet, typically around 1,500 calories daily. It gained traction through the book The Coffee Lover’s Diet, written by Dr. Bob Arnot. This article reviews the coffee diet, including its potential benefits, downsides, and whether it’s healthy.
What Is the Coffee Diet?
The allure of quick weight-loss solutions often leads to the rise of unconventional diets, and the coffee diet is no exception. Promising rapid weight loss through increased coffee consumption, this diet has captured the interest of many seeking a simpler path to shedding pounds, along with those who love their daily cup of joe. The coffee diet involves drinking several cups of coffee daily while restricting calorie intake to around 1,500 calories per day.
In his book “The Coffee Lover’s Diet,” Dr. Arnot claims that drinking coffee several times a day can boost your metabolism, burn more fat, block calorie absorption, and reduce your appetite. He was inspired to write the book after studying people living on the small Greek island of Ikaria, which has a large population of healthy elderly people. He believes that the health and longevity of the islanders is a result of them drinking lots of antioxidant-rich coffee.
How the Coffee Diet Works
The Coffee Diet involves drinking at least 3 cups (720 ml) of light roast coffee per day, as light roasts tend to be higher in polyphenol antioxidants than dark roasts. You can have caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee on the diet, as long as you reach the minimum of 3 cups (720 ml) per day. However, you should avoid sugar or cream and replace one meal per day with a high-fiber green smoothie. Other meals and snacks should be low in calories and fat and high in fiber from whole grains, fruits and vegetables, avoiding highly processed foods such as frozen meals and refined snack foods. In this book, Dr. Arnot recommends a sample meal plan of about 1,500 calories per day. Meals on this diet would include tofu and stir-fried vegetables, brown rice, or grilled chicken salad with a vinegar dressing.
Dr. Arnot places particular importance on the type of coffee you choose and how it’s brewed. He recommends a lightly roasted, whole-bean coffee that you grind at home and prepare using filtered water. On the diet, you can have as much coffee as you want, caffeinated or decaffeinated, as long as you reach your 3-cup (720-ml) minimum. However, you should avoid using sugar or cream.
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Potential Benefits of the Coffee Diet
The coffee diet is touted to offer several benefits, primarily centered around weight loss and improved overall health. While these benefits are promising, it’s important to note that they are most effective when coffee consumption is balanced with a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Weight Loss
Some people have reported weight loss success with this diet, likely due to the calorie restriction involved. In addition, coffee consumption has been linked with weight loss. Research shows that drinking coffee can support a reduction in body weight, body fat, and BMI.
The weight loss effectiveness of the diet is largely attributed to the calorie restriction it encourages rather than the consumption of coffee alone. The fundamental principle of weight loss is creating a calorie deficit, where the number of calories burned exceeds the number of calories consumed. The coffee diet typically pairs increased coffee consumption with a reduced-calorie diet, ensuring that individuals consume fewer calories than they expend.
Reduced Appetite
Dr. Arnot claims that coffee can reduce appetite, thereby helping to reduce daily calorie intake. Drinking coffee shortly before a meal may decrease the amount you eat at that meal.
Increases Metabolism
Caffeinated coffee may increase the number of calories and fat your body burns, making it easier to lose weight. Coffee stimulates metabolism by between 5% and 20% for at least 3 hours. While half of the increase in metabolic rate results from caffeine and derivatives, the other half’s source is still unclear to researchers.
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Improved Physical Performance
Caffeine can enhance physical performance by increasing adrenaline levels, leading to more intense and prolonged exercise sessions.
Rich in Antioxidants
Coffee is rich in caffeine and antioxidants called polyphenols, which have been linked to a number of health benefits, including reduced inflammation and reduced free radical damage. Antioxidants help target oxidative stress, a cause of cellular damage, in the body.
Other Health Benefits
Drinking coffee with caffeine has been linked with improved mood and a lower risk of depression in some groups. Drinking 3 to 4 cups of coffee a day is linked to a lower risk of stroke in some studies. And coffee may help protect against cancers of the mouth, throat and digestive system.
Risks and Downsides of the Coffee Diet
While these factors can help with weight loss, the coffee diet should be approached cautiously. There have been some people who have had success with this method, but it is not really good for your health in the long run.
Excessive Caffeine Intake
Although decaffeinated coffee can be an option on the coffee diet, most people prefer caffeinated coffee. However, excessive caffeine intake can lead to some health problems such as high blood pressure. According to an observational study, a link between coffee and blood pressure was found in more than 1,100 people with high blood pressure. Those who consumed three or more cups of coffee per day had higher blood pressure readings than those who did not drink coffee.
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Caffeine is also a diuretic, which means it causes the body to excrete more fluid through urine. If you drink a lot of coffee, you may need to use the bathroom more often. Furthermore, many important electrolytes, including potassium, can be lost. Losing too much potassium can lead to a condition called hypokalemia, which can affect muscle control and heart health.
Finally, excessive caffeine intake has been linked to heart attacks, headaches, insomnia, and an increased risk of fractures, osteoporosis, and even depression.
While drinking too much caffeinated coffee can be harmful, caffeine intake up to 400 mg per day, or about 4 cups (960 ml) of coffee, is generally considered safe.
Rapid Weight Regain
Diet plans that involve a significant reduction in calories, such as the recommended 1,500 calories per day on the Coffee Diet, often result in rapid weight regain due to a number of changes the body goes through when restricting calories. The body adapts to the number of calories it regularly consumes. Therefore, when you reduce your calorie intake significantly, your body adapts by slowing down your metabolism, reducing the number of calories you burn. Additionally, the hormonal changes that occur due to calorie restriction can increase your appetite.
Leptin is a hormone that promotes feelings of fullness and sends signals to the brain to stop eating. However, leptin levels in the body can drop significantly when following a low-calorie diet, leading to increased hunger and cravings.
For these reasons, it can be said that it is very difficult to lose weight on a diet that reduces calories significantly, such as the coffee diet, and the end result is often rapid weight regain.
According to some studies, about 80% of people who lose weight on a low-calorie diet regain weight within the first month of being off the diet. Nearly 100% of people regain all the weight they lost within 5 years of coming off the diet.
Not a Long-Term Solution
According to testimonials, people typically follow a coffee diet for two to seven weeks. In fact, it may not be safe in the long term for a number of reasons.
Other Considerations
Some studies link drinking five or more cups of coffee a day to lower bone density among some groups of women. People who are pregnant, trying to become pregnant or breastfeeding should limit their consumption of caffeine to 200 milligrams per day.
Some people may experience digestive issues or increased acid reflux when drinking coffee, particularly on an empty stomach. Coffee can cause a brief spike in blood pressure. Regular caffeine consumption can lead to mild dependency, with withdrawal symptoms like headaches or irritability if you skip your usual cup.
Is the Coffee Diet Healthy?
Successful weight loss diets usually involve only small calorie restrictions, which lead to slower, more sustainable weight loss. Increasing your protein and fiber intake, reducing your refined sugar intake, and exercising regularly can help you lose weight and keep it off longer. For most people, the most successful weight loss diet is one that they can stick to. The Coffee Diet encourages you to drink at least 3 cups (720 ml) of coffee per day while restricting calories.
While it may lead to short-term weight loss, it is not a healthy diet in the long term. It can lead to weight regain and side effects from drinking too much caffeine.
Practical Tips for Enjoying Coffee in a Healthy Way
Embrace the bold flavor of black coffee: Research suggests that drinking unsweetened coffee without milk or cream, in particular, is associated with (but doesn’t cause) weight loss. An eight-ounce cup of unsweetened black coffee has only two calories, making it a great beverage option when balanced with lots of water throughout the day. New to drinking it plain? Start by cutting back on add-ins gradually.
Limit sugar and syrups: Skip the flavored syrups and excess sugar. Use just a small amount or a natural sweetener if you need sweetness.
Sprinkle in some cinnamon: A sprinkle of cinnamon can still add warmth and flavor without extra calories.
Practice mindful sipping: Savor each cup slowly, enjoying the aroma and flavor.
Morning boost: Drinking coffee in the morning, especially about an hour after waking up.
Pre-workout nudge: Studies suggest sipping coffee about 30-60 minutes before exercise can increase endurance and performance.
Midday focus: If you find yourself experiencing a slump in the early afternoon, a cup of coffee may help some people improve focus and productivity. However, be mindful of the time, as drinking coffee too late in the day can interfere with your sleep, which is important for weight management, too!