Is Coffee Good For Weight Loss?
Learn 4 Facts on How Coffee Can Help You Lose Weight
Can your morning coffee help you lose weight? We’re sure you have heard of the buzz about coffee regarding shedding some extra pounds. However, are these claims valid? Is coffee really good for weight loss?
Coffee is a low-calorie drink that contains stimulants such as caffeine which boosts your metabolism. An increase in metabolic activity results in a boost in energy levels. Thus, having more energy to perform physical activities can aid in weight loss.
This article aims to help you understand what you need to know about coffee and weight loss. Notably, we’ll talk about plain black coffee. These are the points that we are going to tackle with you:
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What is coffee?
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What is the nutritional value of coffee?
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Is coffee good for weight loss?
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The 4 Facts on How Coffee Can Help You Lose Weight
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When is the best time to drink coffee for weight loss?
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More tips to remember when drinking coffee for weight loss.
What Is Coffee?
Coffee is a popular brewed drink made from the seeds of the evergreen coffee plant. Producing coffee begins when the seeds are harvested and roasted to the desired flavor profile. There are three flavor profiles: light roast, medium roast, and dark roast coffee beans.
Then, the beans are grounded and used in different brewing methods to release their flavor, aroma, color, caffeine, and nutrients. Typically, this beverage is often served hot, but you can also have it iced. Some drinkers take their coffee to another level by adding a sweetener, milk, creamer, or special spices.
What Is the Nutritional Value of Coffee?
For every cup of brewed coffee (8 fl oz), you will get:
Nutrient |
Per Serving |
% Daily Value |
Calories |
2 kcal |
0% |
Total Fat |
0g |
0% |
Saturated Fat |
0g |
0% |
Trans Fat |
0g |
0% |
Cholesterol |
0g |
0% |
Sodium |
4.7mg |
0% |
Total Carbohydrate |
0g |
0% |
Dietary Fiber |
0g |
0% |
Total Sugars |
0g |
0% |
Protein |
0.3g |
1% |
Potassium |
116.1mg |
2% |
Phosphorus |
7.1mg |
1% |
Note that the % Daily Value (DV) presented above is based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
The caffeine content of coffee is 94.8 mg per serving (1 cup or 8 fl. oz.).
Additionally, coffee contains a robust amount of antioxidants such as polyphenols and hydrocinnamic acids. These compounds are found to have the potential to improve your health and reduce your risk of certain diseases.
Is Coffee Good For Weight Loss?’
Yes, drinking coffee can help you shed the extra pounds you’ve wanted to get rid of! After all, coffee barely contains calories! That, of course, if you are consuming it as a plain beverage, without any additional calorie-containing ingredient.
The caffeine in coffee boosts your metabolic activity, which improves your energy levels, and it can potentially promote weight loss.
Furthermore, note that coffee contains nutrients such as potassium, magnesium, and antioxidants. These compounds can help improve your digestive health and muscle function.
How Can Coffee Help You Lose Weight?
Coffee increases your metabolism.
Coffee contains stimulants! Yes, that is why we feel more alive and alert after drinking coffee.
Caffeine, theophylline, and chlorogenic acid are the stimulants found in coffee. Of these, caffeine is the primary stimulant in coffee.
In an in vivo study, caffeine has the ability to enhance thermogenesis and energy expenditure. Thus, it increases your body’s capability to burn calories.
Another 2-month study observed that participants who drank coffee were able to burn more calories during physical activity and at rest. Thus, the effect may help result in weight loss.
Remember. The more calories you burn than you consume, the closer you are to achieving your weight loss goals!
Caffeine in coffee helps burn fat.
Based on a 24-week study, overweight, non-insulin-sensitive adult participants experienced a reduction in body fat by about 4%. Yes, that is their result for drinking four cups of coffee per day.
Researchers believe that the caffeine found in coffee is responsible for fat loss. After all, caffeine increases one’s metabolism, allowing more calories to burn and at the same time reducing body fat.
Coffee promotes appetite control.
Coffee is identified as a natural appetite suppressant that can potentially help you lose weight.
Additionally, it is also found that drinking coffee 0.5–4 hours before a meal can delay stomach emptying and reduce feelings of hunger. As a result, it minimizes your tendency to eat extra calories.
As coffee also contains the stimulant chlorogenic acid, researchers found that it can significantly decrease body fat and body weight.
Coffee boosts your muscle performance.
The caffeine in coffee is what makes you feel alive, alert, awake, and enthusiastic to conquer the day! It provides a significant energy boost and enables your body to burn more fat.
A study shows that drinking coffee one hour before exercise can enhance physical performance. As a result, it can get you more pumped to exert extra effort on your workout, burn more calories, and lose weight faster.
When Is the Best Time To Drink Coffee For Weight Loss?
Most people love to start their morning with a good cup of coffee. That way, you can kick start your metabolism, giving you a boost of energy and a refreshing determination to start the day.
Again, note that the metabolism-boosting effect caused by coffee can help you lose weight over time.
Warning: Drinking it in the afternoon or before bedtime will most likely mess up your sleep schedule! Be aware that sleep disturbance is one of the culprits of unhealthy weight gain.
More Tips To Remember When Drinking Coffee For Weight Loss
Putting other ingredients into your coffee is an addition to its calorie value.
As mentioned earlier, coffee is a very low-calorie beverage on its own. Adding excessive amounts of ingredients such as sugar, creamer, milk, whipping cream, chocolate, and other components will increase its caloric value.
For example, if you put one teaspoon of sugar in your coffee, that’s an addition of 16 calories. An ounce of whipping cream is an addition of up to 100 calories. Eight ounces of whole milk provides 230 calories.
Remember that losing weight is about consuming fewer calories than you burn! Overall, you have to make sure that you are keeping track of your calorie intake.
Drink coffee moderately.
As long as you can tolerate the effects of caffeine, you may drink up to 4 cups of coffee per day.
According to health experts, the maximum tolerable caffeine intake per day is up to 400mg for healthy individuals. Yes, that is approximately about 4 cups of black coffee.
Caffeine-sensitive individuals must be careful with their coffee intake.
Taking caffeine more than your body can tolerate may result in increased heart rate and breathing rate, tensed muscles, nervousness, insomnia, nausea, or upset stomach.