What Is Pure Green Coffee Bean Extract?

By John Raven


Raw coffee beans provide many health benefits. Unfortunately, they are normally roasted prior to the preparation of the popular beverage, a process that removes most of the beneficial effects. In the last couple of years, however, pure green coffee bean extract has attracted a lot of publicity, thanks mainly to clinical and biochemical studies that have confirmed its effectiveness in promoting weight loss. As a result, it is now widely available to the general public.

Traditional coffee is sometimes used to help with weight loss, but the effect seems to be due to caffeine, a stimulant that temporarily raises energy and mental activity levels. Unfortunately, caffeine can produce unpleasant side effects, such as nervousness, irritability and headaches. It can also produce withdrawal symptoms when the intake is reduced or stopped. Green coffee extract contains far less caffeine and its effects seem to be due to an entirely different substance.

Raw coffee beans contain high levels of chlorogenic acid, a compound that is destroyed by the roasting process. This explains why the benefits of raw green beans cannot be obtained from the traditional drink. The compound is so-named because of the color it produces when it reacts with some other chemicals and has no connection with chlorine; "chloro" is from the ancient Greek word for "green".

Various chemical reactions that routinely take place in the human body create compounds called "free radicals". These are potentially very damaging to cells. They promote aging and can disrupt the structure of DNA, increasing the risk of cancer. Chlorogenic acid belongs to a class of compounds known as antioxidants, which inhibit the oxidation reactions that produce free radicals. It is thought, therefore, that this compound may help prevent cancer and reduce the effects of aging.

It is, however, the use of the extract as a slimming aid that has attracted most attention. In one study, carried out over a period of 22 weeks, a group of volunteers lost an average of 17 pounds. Another group, given a placebo, showed no overall weight loss. In both cases, the participants in the study were instructed to follow their normal diet and exercise patterns.

When sugars are digested, the simple carbohydrate glucose is produced. This is used as an energy source. Often, not all of the glucose is used and the remainder is converted into fat, which is a means of storing energy for future use. This enabled early humans to survive periods when food was short, but in societies where food is plentiful fat can accumulate, leading to weight gain and obesity. Chlorogenic acid slows the release of glucose into the bloodstream, so that less of it ends up as fat.

This may not be the only benefit associated with chlorogenic acid. It seems to help maintain healthy levels of blood sugar. It also appears to increase the metabolic rate of the liver, allowing it to break down fats more quickly.

Pure green coffee bean extract is widely available in capsule form. The capsules contain the pure extract, produced by extracting the raw beans and soaking them. The production process preserves the essential compounds that are destroyed by roasting.




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