Green Coffee Bean Extract, also known as GCBE, has been a hot trend in weight loss for well over a decade.
According to reliable research, green coffee bean extract burns excess body fat. It also boosts energy levels, regulates glucose levels, and increases our metabolic rate.
When we have more energy, we tend to be more active. With balanced glucose levels, it is easier to lose weight. And, with a faster metabolism, we burn more calories.
GCBE potentially has several significant health benefits. Equally important is that adverse reactions to the supplement are rare. It can, however, interact with some medication (see more on this below).
This article on Green Coffee Bean Extract looks at how it’s derived and how it may help you lose weight.
It also discusses Green Coffee Bean Extract benefits for health, research results, and potential side effects.
Table of Contents
What is Green Coffee Bean Extract?
Green coffee extract is a derivative of unroasted coffee beans.
Raw coffee beans are green. Once roasted, they turn brown.
Along with changing color, after roasting, coffee beans lose most of their primary fat-burning component, chlorogenic acid.
While regular roasted coffee beans contain a minute amount of chlorogenic acid, green coffee beans have far more. This is due to the acid being processed before the beans are roasted.
How Does Chlorogenic Acid Work?
Along with its potential for preventing weight gain, chlorogenic acid can promote weight loss. This is because it speeds up the metabolism, suppresses the appetite, and inhibits carbohydrate absorption.
Chlorogenic acid also prevents the liver from releasing excessive glucose into the bloodstream after eating. Glucose supplies energy, but when there is too much of it, our body stores the excess as fat.
Can anyone take GCBE?
Providing you are not allergic to it, almost anyone can take GCBE, including people who dislike the taste of coffee and those who find caffeine overstimulates them. This is because the flavor, aroma, and effect of coffee as we know it becomes evident only after raw coffee beans are roasted.
A high-dose green coffee bean extract supplement contains less than a quarter of the caffeine of a cup of coffee. This means that feeling jittery and experiencing sleepless nights caused by high doses of caffeine should not be a problem.
NB: Read Green Coffee Bean Extract Side-Effects, Risks, and Interactions (below) before buying this supplement. If you’re not sure it will be suitable for you, check with your doctor.
Green Coffee Bean Extract Benefits for Weight Loss Studies
Over the past fifteen years or so, researchers have conducted numerous studies into Green Coffee Bean Extract benefits for weight loss. We will look at a few of these below.
A 2006 study examined fat accumulation and weight gain inhibition in mice given GCBE daily. The results were published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, with researchers noting that the mice had reduced visceral fat content and body weight.
The conclusion was that green coffee bean extract might be effective against weight gain and fat accumulation because it prevents fat absorption and activates fat metabolism in the liver. 
In 2011, Gastroenterology Research and Practice published a meta-analysis of 5 studies that examined the effectiveness of green coffee extract as a weight-loss supplement.
Aggregate data showed a significant reduction in body weight of the participants who took GCBE compared with those who received a placebo.
Another study followed sixteen young, overweight adults who alternated between having low-dose (700mg) and high-dose (1,050mg) green coffee bean extract supplements and placebos daily for 22 weeks.
Each was taken for six weeks straight, followed by a two-week break so the efficacy or otherwise would be clear cut.
This type of research, known as a cross-over study, provides very accurate results.
The study was small, but the results were undeniable, with the subjects achieving a weight loss of over 17 pounds. They also reduced their body weight by over 16% during the 22-week trial. The participants made no dietary or exercise modifications.
Reducing calories and regularly exercising while taking GCBE could result in more significant and faster weight loss.
One 2017 study involved two groups of obese females. Both followed a reduced-calorie diet, with the members of one group also taking 400mg of green coffee bean extract daily for 8 weeks.
The group who took GCBE lost more weight than the member of the group who relied on diet alone. The former also lowered their cholesterol levels – including LDL – and free fatty acids.
Green Coffee Bean Extract Health Benefits
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Blood pressure reduction
The benefit of taking the extract of the green coffee bean doesn’t stop at weight loss. A 2006 study published in “Clinical and Experimental Hypertension” showed that participants who took 140 milligrams of green coffee bean extract daily could reduce their blood pressure without experiencing side effects.
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May reduce cholesterol levels
Research conducted in 2020 concluded that GCBE may lower total cholesterol, reduce LDL (bad cholesterol), and slightly lower triglycerides.
Unfortunately, the supplement might also lower good cholesterol.
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Mood enhancement
The caffeine in green coffee beans positively affects mood and brain activity. According to a 2008 review published in “Nutrition Bulletin,” several studies confirmed that caffeine could improve our memory, focus, alertness, reaction time, fatigue resistance, and vigilance, among other cognitive performance factors.
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Has anti-inflammatory properties
Inflammation helps us fight illness and is part of the healing process.
However, people with asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, IBD, Chron’s disease, psoriasis, and several other medical conditions often suffer chronic inflammation that negatively impacts their lives and health.
Being anti-inflammatory, the chlorogenic acid in green coffee beans may benefit these individuals.
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Could slow aging
GCBE also balances blood glucose levels by inhibiting the release of an enzyme called G6P. Along with assisting weight loss, the chlorogenic acid found in GCBE combats free radicals, slowing the aging process and improving muscle tone.
The extract of green coffee contains several antioxidants, compounds that protect us from the adverse effects of free radicals. This preventative function helps keep us healthier by reducing the damage and stress to our body’s cells.
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May protect against some cancers
According to a 2004 study published in the “Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry,” chlorogenic acid antioxidants in green coffee beans may even prevent the proliferation of four kinds of cancer cells.
Green Coffee Bean Extract Side Effects, Risks, and Interactions
Side effects from taking green coffee bean extract supplements are uncommon. If you react adversely to caffeine, you may experience headaches, an upset stomach, or 
feelings of mild anxiety. It is not advisable for children or women who are pregnant or breastfeeding to take GCBE.
High doses of caffeine can be detrimental to people with certain medical conditions. These include bleeding disorders, anxiety, high blood pressure, irritable bowel syndrome, osteoporosis, diabetes, and glaucoma.
Herbal and other medicinal stimulants can interact with GCBE, as can blood thinners. Other possible interactions can occur when taking medication for osteoporosis, heart conditions, lung disease, depression, schizophrenia, and menopause.
GCBE should not be taken in conjunction with other supplements containing caffeine.
Green Coffee Bean Extract Summary
A calorie-controlled diet and regular exercise are paramount to success when it comes to losing weight.
However, research has shown that some supplements can improve our weight loss potential. One of these supplements is green coffee bean extract, which also appears to have some health benefits.
Most studies, however, have been of relatively short duration, involving a small number of subjects. This being the case, we don’t know the long-term Green Coffee Bean Extract benefits for weight loss and health.
Another thing to be aware of is that some GCBE manufacturers sponsored studies on the benefits of Green Coffee Bean Extract, so a degree of bias could come into play.
Some of the best GCBE supplements are manufactured in the US. Look for one that is organic and comes with a guarantee of the product’s quality and purity.
You may also like to read Is Black Coffee Good for Weight Loss, and is it healthy?
