The effectiveness of green coffee bean extract as a weight loss

supplement
Kaela Pittman & Alexis Lunderville
Abstract

In association with rising obesity rates and a shrinking ideal body image, the use of nonprescription dietary supplements, like green coffee bean extract have gained increased
popularity. Scientific evidence suggests that the consumption of green coffee bean extract does
assist in weight loss efforts. The purpose of this systematic literature review was to assess the
effectiveness of green coffee bean extract as a dietary weight loss supplement. A Medline search
was conducted using the terms green coffee bean extract and weight loss, limiting the
inclusion of studies to the past 10 years. This review included studies from the last ten years to
gain a better understanding on green coffee bean extract research due to availability of studies.
All six eligible studies assessed green coffee bean extract or the effect of its active ingredients on
weight loss in either humans or animals and provided data suggesting that green coffee bean
extract only minimally or moderately aids weight loss efforts. Previous research shows that this
extract does not offer significant weight loss results. Studies that were disregarded for this
literature review did not assess the effectiveness of green bean coffee extract directly or without
bias. Based on current evidence, it can be concluded that the use of green coffee bean extract
may be moderately useful in aiding weight loss efforts. More research is needed to assess the
validity of the safe for consumption claims of green coffee bean extract supplements to aid
consumers in choosing a safe weight loss supplement product.
INTRODUCTION

Obesity has become an epidemic in America. Over one third of adults, 37.5%, and
approximately 17% of children in America are considered obese with a BMI over 351. The
health consequences associated with obesity include an increased risk for cardiovascular disease
and type 2 diabetes, elevated blood sugar and blood triglycerides, increased LDL cholesterol and
decreased HDL cholesterol, respiratory problems, fatty liver, gallbladder disease, arthritis,
psychological problems, and premature death2.With obesity quickly on the rise, Americans are
desperately searching for any easy way to lose weight; willing to latch onto the next health food
or fad diet that promises quick results. Some people are considered morbidly obese and need to
lose weight as quickly as possible for immediate medical reasons, previously listed. Others are
pressured by the media and slim ideal body image of todays culture to lose weight. These
diverse reasons to decrease the number that appears on the scale have led people to try and trust
supplements that claim to help people lose outlandish amounts of weight in small periods of
time. Because of this increased desire to lose weight, the dietary supplement industry has grown
enormously, surpassing $30 billion in sales for 20111. Weight loss products are considered
supplements and are not strictly regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or
required to meet any food safety or quality regulations. In any case, consumers who are
desperate to lose weight tend to blindly trust in the claims printed on supplement bottles despite
the lack of scientific research to prove the ability of a supplement to effectively aid in weight
loss.
Recently, green coffee been extract has gained a lot of attention as the latest and greatest
weight loss supplement after its debut on the popular celebrity health show, Dr. Oz. An internet
Google search for green coffee bean extract comes up with 7,070,000 results in only 0.23
seconds! However, the question is, does green coffee bean extract actually aid in weight loss?

Green coffee bean extract is a dietary supplement made from green, unroasted coffee beans. The
supplement contains natural caffeine and chlorogenic acid, a polyphenol antioxidant, which is
normally roasted out during processing of commercial coffee beans, but is very bioavailable in
humans3. The science behind this product relies on the claim that chlorogenic acid is responsible
for weight loss effects in green coffee bean extract including the inhibition of fat accumulation
and reduction of overall body weight, in laboratory animals and humans. The green coffee bean
extract weight loss supplement is available at an inexpensive price in capsule form, as a powder
added to beverages or as chewing gum1. Both random control trials and animal experiments have
been conducted to assess the effects of green coffee bean extract consumption on weight loss
goals. A systematic literature review was conducted to assess the effectiveness of green coffee
bean extract as a dietary weight loss supplement. A Medline search was conducted using the
terms green coffee bean extract and weight loss. Studies that were included in this systematic
literature review were performed within the last ten years. Interest in green coffee bean extract
has developed throughout the last decade1. Therefore, in order to gain a wider perspective
regaurdid available research, we included studies conducted throughout the last ten years. In all,
there were six studies considered eligible for this systematic literature review. All six studies
assessed green coffee bean extract or the effect of its active ingredients on weight loss in either
humans or animals; two of the studies also assessed fat loss specifically. Only scientific studies
that specifically looked at one or more green coffee bean extract ingredient and based research
on the consumption of these products were included. Some studies were excluded from the
investigation of the effectiveness of green coffee bean extract as a weight loss supplement
because they were funded by companies that most likely would have benefited from positive
results of the study10. Independent companies often fund research in order to prove a product

works instead of testing if it truly works and they should not be considered as a non-biased
candidate when judging the validity of a scientific claim. All six articles provided data
suggesting that green coffee bean extract minimally or moderately aids weight loss. Because of
rising obesity rates in America and, conversely, their strong desire to lose weight quickly, it is
important to investigate scientific studies so that nutritionists, dietitians and doctors can
definitively say whether or not green coffee bean extract aids and increases weight loss in
humans or if it is another ineffective dietary supplement that may cause more harm than good to
those who consume it.
MAIN BODY
Animal Experiments
Animal studies support the proposition that green coffee bean extract aids weight loss and
propose metabolic mechanisms in regards to how this specific supplement works. One animal
study conducted by Hiroshi Shimoda from BioMed Central Ltd. revealed that green coffee bean
extract is an effective again to decrease weight gain and fat accumulation by inhibiting the
absorption of fat and activating fat metabolism to a greater extent within the liver (in laboratory
mice.) Specifically, they found one of the components of green coffee bean extract, caffeine, is a
suppressor of fat absorption in mice. The study also concluded that chlorogenic acid, also a
component of green coffee bean extract, is involved in a suppressive effect that results in the
reduction of triglyceride (TG) levels in the liver4. Scientists administered specific percentages of
green coffee bean extract as part of each lab rats diet and evaluated changes in visceral fat, over
all body weight and changes in triglyceride levels throughout the rat. The study resulted in a

decrease in body weight and visceral fat in mice and a decrease in hepatic and blood
triglycerides.
A number of other laboratory animal studies have also been conducted to show the effect
of consuming green coffee bean extract. Animal studies conducted by Oguni I, and Cho A-S
clearly suggest that green coffee bean extract and caffeine very effectively decrease fat
accumulation, triglyceride levels and body weight5,6. These studies strongly show that it may
only be specific components of green coffee bean extract that affect weight gain, not the entire
green coffee bean extract product. This research conclude that chlorogenic acid, which is in
green coffee bean extract, specifically and significantly lowered body weight, visceral fat mass
and plasma leptin and insulin levels while caffeine is responsible for the suppression of body
weight increase and fat accumulation4,5,6. These studies provided between 0.02% and 1% of the
laboratory rats diet as green coffee bean extract or caffeine and chlorogenic acid. These
percentages would be an outrageous amount if used proportionally in a human diet.
Clinical Random Control Trial Studies
Randomized, double blind, clinical trial studies were also conducted to test the
effectiveness of green coffee bean extract. Generally these studies resulted in a statistically
significant decrease in body weight for overweight and obese green coffee bean extract
consuming participants verses the placebo, control patients7,8,9. One study conducted primarily
by Joe Vinson, from Applied Food Sciences Inc. in Austin, TX, was a randomized, double-blind,
placebo-controlled, linear dose, crossover study to investigate whether or not green coffee bean
extract resulted in a decrease in body weight, body fat percentage and/or BMI in overweight
clients. He studied this by administering oral high-doses of green coffee bean extract (1050 mg),

oral low-doses of green coffee bean extract (700 mg), and placebos to three different groups that
totaled in 16 participants. Although the sample size is much smaller than ideal, he conducted an
extensive twenty-two week study of treatment with green coffee bean extract in capsules
multiple times a day, without changing patients other lifestyle habits, and took measurements of
body weight, BMI, percent body fat, heart rate and blood pressure. In this study, participants
averaged over 17 pounds of weight loss, and average of over 10% of loss of body weight; all the
participants, including the control group, showed, at the very least, 4% weight loss. All of the
subjects were initially overweight (considered using BMI value of >25) and ended the
normal/healthy weight BMI category (between a measurement of 18 and 24.9)9. This study
shows very concrete weight loss results from green coffee bean extract, however, is limited by its
small sample size and its inability to control and account for the lifestyle and diet of participants
outside of the study.
Other human intervention clinical random control trial studies conducted by Thom E, and
Dellalibera O also report a promising decrease in the body fat percentage of the green coffee
bean extract consuming groups (experimental groups) compared to their original weight and no
large difference in the placebo groups (control groups). Some studies specifically tested green
coffee extract under the specific brand name product, Svetol7,8. These studies show a great
reduction in weight and body fat when administered with 5-12 week durations. This is a short
time to lose over five percent of ones body weight, especially in overweight and obese
participants. Not a single trial reported signs or symptoms of any adverse effects while using of
green coffee bean extract.
Discussion & Conclusion

These animal studies are helpful when judging the effectiveness of green coffee bean
extract as a weight loss supplement because they allow the direct intervention and control over a
mammals complete diet so that effects of the specified supplement can be easily seen. The
animal studies were well planned and conducted and their experiments show that green coffee
bean extract is, indeed, effective as an aid to increase weight loss through multiple mechanisms
and components. However, no matter how concrete these findings are, the physiological systems
within a rats body are much different than the human body and it cannot be concluded, with
these studies alone. that green coffee bean extract will have the same effect when administered in
the diets of human beings.
Outcomes of random control trials generally indicate that the consuming the green coffee
bean extract can promote weight loss in overweight patients. A meta-analysis of the three studies
on green coffee bean extract products concluded that an average weight loss of about six pounds
was moderate in participants10. However, multiple caveats exist. These studies all tested the
product on overweight patients and did not report ethnicity and age differences between patients
tested. It is difficult to deduce what effect green coffee bean extract as a dietary supplement has
on specific groups of peoples and those who are normal weight versus those that are morbidly
obese. Green coffee bean extract was shown to have a small effect in general throughout the
studies, but the effect took place in a reportedly short time frame. This claim needs to be retested in order to prove it is not outrageous or exaggerated. The clinical relevance of this effect is
uncertain because there is an inability to control the lifestyle and dietary choices outside of the
studies. Changes in weight could be attributed to confounding factors in the lives of participants.
It is also important to note that the random control, double blind trials are costly, and have been

funded by various companies, some of which may benefit from the positive results of the study.
If any study inflicted a bias on the experiment performed; these studies were not considered.
More evidence is needed to prove if green coffee bean extract is 1) effective for weight
management, 2) whether or not it is safe, and 3) to what extent the product can be used without
adverse side effects. Through the results of this systematic literature review, it can be concluded
that the use of green coffee bean extract may be useful in aiding weight loss. Animal studies
support the claim that green coffee bean extract decreases body weight and provides possible
mechanisms of how specific components of green coffee bean extract contribute to this.
However, these mechanisms require further testing to conclude their validity in the human body.
Until further research is performed, these mechanisms cannot be used to claim the supplement
works. More rigorous random control, double blind studies with longer duration and more
diversity among participants are needed to assess the efficacy and safety of green coffee bean
extract as a weight loss supplement in diverse groups of people and to obtain an optimal dose
that green coffee bean extract should be consumed at. Previous studies did not report adverse
effects of consuming concentrated green coffee bean extract studies that report these and are
needed in order to prove that green coffee bean extract as a supplement is safe for people of all
sizes without affecting digestion and absorption of other essential nutrients. At this point, there is
no definitive evidence to conclusively prove green coffee bean extract is effective as a weight
loss aid. Dietitians and doctors should continue endorsing healthy lifestyle behaviors as a
effective way to lose weight. Developing a healthy lifestyle includes increasing physical activity,
reducing total caloric intake, and creating a balanced diet. These behavioral modifications are
recommended as the first steps to healthy weight loss.
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