In a survey conducted by the National Coffee Association and The Specialty Coffee Association of America, 50 percent of the American population drinks an average of 3.1 cups of coffee a day. They also found out that the common motivations of drinking coffee among Americans are to help them relax and get their jobs done. These are apparent effects of drinking coffee because coffee contains caffeine, a white crystalline xanthine alkaloid stimulant agent. It has been widely accepted and known that consumption of coffee improves mental alertness, reduces fatigue and sleepiness, and increases memory performance and attention. However, amidst these given facts, there are claims widely discussed in the Internet about the effectiveness of coffee for weight loss. Coffee gives us energy, but weight loss?! It is hard to believe.
I am no coffee expert so I can neither verify nor disagree but I am as curious as you are. It would be best if we base our presumptions from the actual facts to come up with a relatively correct answer. Moreover, we will base the actual facts from the effects of the contents of coffee. I have mentioned caffeine previously. Below are unsupported statements about caffeine, thus classifying them as myths.
Myth: Caffeine stimulates thermogenesis, the process of the body to generate heat and energy from food consumption.
However, thermogenesis is not enough to result to significant weight loss.
Myth: Coffee suppresses appetite.
Fact: Coffee contains reactive-hypoglycemic properties, which are responsible for increasing one’s cravings of high glycemic food, or fat-storing food.
Fact: Coffee disrupts glucose metabolism—not our appetite. As a result, the blood glucose homeostasis gets impaired, which then triggers insulin and LPL (lipoprotein lipase), the fat-storage hormones.
This study was mentioned in the 2008 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Coffee Impairs Blood Glucose. In addition, Dr. Henry Kahn of Emory University School of Medicine found out that coffee triggers the secretion of cortisol, a stress-related hormone responsible for belly fat accumulation.
Having said that, instead of contributing to weight loss, coffee—in scientific explanation—radically triggers weight gain. Now that is surprising.
All these facts and myths about coffee for weight loss have helped me come up with my own conclusion. That is, drinking coffee in minimal consumption of at least once a day is the safest way to avoid its negative effects on weight gain, insomnia, nervousness, palpitation, etc. If you ads or products indicating weight loss promises by decaffeinated drinks, you’ll be saved from disappointment of you do your own research about the effectiveness of the product before you purchase because most caffeinated beverages contain fat and high calories.