Green coffee has gained popularity in the health and wellness world, lauded for its potential health benefits and weight loss properties. This article provides an in-depth examination of slim coffee, including its ingredients, potential benefits, and associated risks. The article also addresses the safety concerns after the FDA found dangerous drugs in some weight loss coffees.
What is Slim Coffee?
Slim coffee typically refers to coffee products marketed for weight loss. These products often contain green coffee extract and other ingredients believed to promote weight loss.
Green Coffee: The Base Ingredient
Green coffee beans are simply unroasted coffee beans, retaining their natural raw state. This is important because roasting destroys some of the healthy, natural chemicals in the beans. Green coffee can be purchased in whole-bean form to make a hot beverage, or its extract can be used as a dietary supplement. Green coffee has a milder flavor resembling herbal tea, unlike the taste of roasted coffee.
Chlorogenic Acids: The Active Compounds
Green coffee boasts an abundant supply of chlorogenic acids, potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds. These acids are thought to provide many health benefits. While roasted coffee also contains chlorogenic acid, the roasting process significantly reduces its concentration.
Potential Benefits of Slim Coffee
Slim coffee is often marketed as a weight loss aid, but research is still ongoing. However, green coffee may offer other potential health benefits.
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Weight Loss
Some research suggests green coffee may aid in weight loss. A few small studies revealed that participants taking green coffee lost 3 to 5 pounds more than those who did not. Green coffee may act by lowering blood sugar and blocking fat buildup.
It's important to note that many health experts have refuted the notion that it has any significant impact on weight. Studies in humans have been far less conclusive. Most human research on green coffee has been inconclusive. While some participants lost weight, the studies were poorly designed with small sample sizes and short durations. Thus, no definitive evidence demonstrates that green coffee is effective for weight loss, and larger, well-designed human studies are needed.
Blood Sugar and Blood Pressure
Green coffee may help lower high blood pressure in some people. One small study in people with mild high blood pressure showed benefits over the placebo. Additionally, chlorogenic acids in green coffee may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes.
In an 8-week study, 50 people with metabolic syndrome took 400 mg of decaffeinated green coffee bean extract twice daily. Those who took the extract experienced significant improvements in fasting blood sugar, blood pressure, and waist circumference, compared with a control group. Although these results are promising, larger studies are needed.
Potential Risks and Side Effects
While green coffee is largely safe, potential risks are associated with its consumption, and some slim coffees were found to have dangerous drugs.
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Caffeine-Related Side Effects
Green coffee beans naturally contain caffeine, similar to roasted coffee. While moderate caffeine intake is generally safe, excessive consumption can lead to negative symptoms. These include anxiety, sleep disturbances, and increased blood pressure. One cup (8 ounces) of either black or green coffee provides roughly 100 mg of caffeine, depending on the variety and brewing method. Green coffee may contain slightly more caffeine than black coffee, as a small amount of caffeine may be lost during the roasting process, but the difference is likely negligible. Green coffee supplements usually offer 20-50 mg per capsule, though some are decaffeinated during processing. If you're taking green coffee in any form, you may want to moderate your intake to avoid effects.
The caffeine in green coffee -- just like the caffeine in brewed coffee -- can cause symptoms that include headache, upset stomach, and anxiety.
Because of its caffeine, extremely high doses of green coffee could be dangerous. Caffeine may not be good for people with conditions such as glaucoma, anxiety, diabetes, high blood pressure, irritable bowel syndrome, osteoporosis, or bleeding disorders.
Potential Bone Health Concerns
A 2-month animal study found that mice given daily doses of green coffee extract experienced significant calcium depletion in their bone tissue. These results suggest that long-term intake of green coffee supplements may harm bone health. However, human research is needed.
Interactions with Medications
If you take any medicines regularly, talk to your doctor before you start using green coffee supplements. Green coffee interacts with many medicines.
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Hidden Ingredients: A Serious Concern
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued warnings about several coffee products marketed for weight loss that contain hidden and dangerous drugs. These products are typically promoted as "all-natural" dietary aids.
Sibutramine: The FDA found that some products, such as Lishou Slimming Coffee, Like Slim Coffee, and Vitaccino coffee, contained sibutramine. Sibutramine is a controlled substance that was removed from the market in October 2010 for safety reasons due to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Desmethylsibutramine, a substance structurally similar to sibutramine, was also found in some products.
Sibutramine is known to substantially increase blood pressure and/or heart rate in some people and may present a significant risk for people with a history of coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias, or stroke.
The following side effects have been linked to sibutramine (Meridia): Headache, Insomnia, Dizziness, Blood pressure increase, Hypertension, Anxiety, Cardiac Failure, Psychotic disorder, Cerebrovascular accident, Renal failure, and Heart attack.
The FDA has acknowledged that incidents of illegal or unapproved ingredients being used in dietary supplements are a growing problem as the products are loosely regulated and do not require FDA approval before being entered into the market.
Dosage and Recommendations
Insufficient data exists on green coffee to establish clear dosing recommendations. At least one study used doses of up to 400 mg of green coffee extract twice daily, reporting no negative effects. If you're considering taking this extract, consult your healthcare provider to ensure that you're taking a safe amount.
Given the lack of evidence about its safety, doctors don't recommend green coffee for children or for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.