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Green Coffee Extract 101: Your Guide to 2013’s Hottest Diet Trend

6 min read

By Emily Lockhart

Green coffee extract has taken the world by storm and has established itself as one of the most popular diet and weight management trends of 2013. The buzz around green coffee and its various health and weight management claims have taken the media by storm and new products using the extract have made their way into mainstream retail. So, lets dig into the details are explore the facts about the newest diet trend on the market.

According to Google Trends, searches for the keyword ‘green coffee’ are now labeled as “breakout” after a surge of interest has led to an explosion of consumer demand for information on green coffee related topics. The demand has led to rapid growth in the number of companies offering green coffee extract as a key ingredient in weight loss and weight management products — and the trend shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon!

We developed this article to assist consumers who are looking for a general “crash course” in green coffee extract products. The information below is an easy-to-digest introduction to green coffee extract, a review of the health claims being made by those marketing these products, and a summary of the information you should consider when looking to try one of the many green coffee extract products available on the market.

The “Elevator Pitch” on Green Coffee

Green coffee extract is produced from raw coffee beans that have not yet been roasted. Green coffee extract has been used in a number of dietary supplement products that have risen to widespread popularity after extensive mainstream media coverage began in mid-2012. Raw green coffee beans contain a high amount of chlorogenic acid, a natural antioxidant compound linked to a variety of health and weight management benefits.

Can I Take Green Coffee Extract And Immediately Start Losing Weight Without Exercise or Dietary Changes?

No. Quite frankly, such a product has never existed and probably never will.

However, the science behind green coffee extract is quite sound and supports the fact that with proper use and realistic expectations, products made with green coffee extract may be able to assist your the weight loss and weight management goals.

So, What Makes This “Diet Fad” So Special?

Green coffee extract boasts a few special key factors that have led to the explosive growth in consumer interest over the last year or so. There are a couple key reasons that interest in green coffee extract as a dietary supplement has seen such explosive growth:

  • The key ingredient in green coffee extract, chlorogenic acid, is a natural compound found in unroasted coffee beans.
  • Mainstream media has extensively covered the green coffee phenomenon and has helped spark its explosive growth. Popular television celebrity Dr. Oz has been credited as being one of the first television personalities to introduce the benefits of green coffee extract to the masses.
  • Numerous scientific lab studies have been performed and have concluded that green coffee extract may be effective in reducing weight in pre-obese adults and may be effective in preventing obesity in overweight adults. Source: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

Chlorogenic Acid & Its Effect On Glucose Levels

The key ingredient in green coffee extract is an natural antioxidant compound called chlorogenic acid. Chlorogenic acid has been found to slow the release of glucose into the blood stream after a meal, which is one of the key functions of any green coffee extract-based diet product. By slowing the release of glucose into the bloodstream, the body does not need to rely on the pancreas to produce extra insulin to properly transport glucose from your bloodstream to the rest of your body.

In the world we live in, we are constantly exposed to processed foods and “quick and easy” meal solutions that we sometimes need to choose in order to keep up with our busy lives. Many of these processed foods are much easier for the human body to break down than the more natural, whole foods that many modern diets are simply lacking. For example, our bodies are able to break down the contents of a french fry much easier than that of a raw carrot, which leads to a huge imbalance in the way these two foods effect our glucose levels and our overall ability to sustain energy levels throughout the day.

Chlorogenic acid is a perfect example of a dietary supplement that should be fully understood and used alongside dietary changes aimed at addressing the core issue — the rate in which your body metabolizes the food you eat. Adjusting your diet to replace foods with a high GI index with foods such as raw fruits and vegetables, nuts and whole grains will help you reduce the occurrence of glucose spikes and will help you sustain your energy and reduce food cravings throughout the day.

But, Can’t I Just Drink Coffee To Achieve The Same Results?

Unfortunately, no. During the roasting process the chlorogenic acid found in the natural, unroasted bean is broken down into quinic and caffetic acids. Therefore, the only way to get the amount of chlorogenic acid needed to act as a dietary supplement is through products derived from the natural, unroasted bean itself.

What Do I Need To Know When Choosing a Green Coffee Extract Product?

There are a few simple, yet important, things to watch out for when choosing a green coffee extract product as not all of these products are made with the exact same ingredients or specifications. The following list of items should be considered when considering a green coffee extract product:

  1. Ideally, each capsule should contain at least 45% chlorogenic acid, the active ingredient linked to the health and dietary claims.
  2. Look for products that are compliant with the FDA’s regulation of Good Manufacturing Practices, usually listed as “GMP Compliant” on manufacturer websites. A list of the GMP guidelines and inspection checklist items can be found at www.fda.gov.
  3. If the bottle does not list the ingredients, don’t buy it! Look for products that are open about their ingredient list, the percentage of chlorogenic acid in each capsule, and that are opening marketing the fact that the capsules do not contain any fillers or artificial ingredients.
  4. Risk-free trials offered by the manufacturer are an excellent way to sample a specific product to see if it works for you. However, keep in mind that these trial periods usually expire within 30 days and that the consumer is responsible for managing their subscription to the product they are sampling.
  5. Chlorogenic acid can be sometimes listed as GCA® (green coffee antioxidant) or Svetol®, so keep that in mind when reading the ingredients list of a green coffee extract product.

Do We Recommend A Specific Green Coffee Extract Product?

While we do not endorse any specific green coffee extract products, we have taken the time to review a number of key considerations around some of the leading green coffee extract products available both online and via local health and wellness retailers. We have also listed whether or not these products allow consumers to sample the product during a risk-free trial period, which allows them to see for themselves whether the product works as intended during the first few weeks of use.

Green Coffee Extract Product Comparison

Based on the criteria listed on the previous list of considerations, we selected a handful of the leading green coffee extract products on the market and reviewed them based on the important criteria we listed. If you are looking for a green coffee extract product to try for yourself, use the following information to help yourself choose a product that might be best suited for you.

#1 – Coffee Pure Cleanse
Manufacturer Website CoffeePureCleanse.com
Number of Capsules Per Bottle 60
Capsule Serving Size 400mg Per Capsule
Contains 50% Chlorogenic Acid? Yes
Contains Fillers? No
Made In The USA Yes
GMC Guideline Compliant? Yes
Offers Risk-Free Trial? Yes 
Current Special Offers? Use the promo code COFFPURE during checkout and pay only $4.95 for trial shipping & handling

#2 – Natural Green Coffee Extract
Manufacturer Website DietGreenCoffee.com
Number of Capsules Per Bottle 60
Capsule Serving Size 400mg Per Capsule
Contains 50% Chlorogenic Acid? Yes
Contains Fillers? No
Made In The USA Yes
GMC Guideline Compliant? Yes
Offers Risk-Free Trial? Yes 
Current Special Offers? Use the promo code COFFEE during checkout and pay only $4.95 for trial shipping & handling

Emily Lockhart

Contributor

Emily Lockhart is a weight loss expert who specializes in healthy living. She is dedicated to providing health-conscious individuals with the information they need to make great lifestyle choices that will make them look and feel better. In her spare time, Emily teaches Pilates at a local studio and enjoys activities like hiking, rowing and biking.

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