Coffee being a daily component of your per day calories can help you magically lose weight. You’ve probably heard that coffee is a metabolism-booster — or maybe you’ve read the opposite: that it’s unhealthy and fattening. So, which is it? Is coffee good for weight loss? We’ll explain the latest science on coffee and why it might not be as bad as you think.
It’s a great source of antioxidants
Antioxidants do a lot of things for your body. They help prevent cancer and other diseases, they keep you from getting sick, and they even make you live longer.
Coffee is full of antioxidants in the form of chlorogenic acid (which helps prevent diabetes and liver damage), quercetin (which helps reduce inflammation), lignans (helps protect against heart disease) and many more.
Coffee also contains fiber which helps to keep your digestive system running smoothly and flushes out toxins from your body that cause weight gain or bloating.
Fiber slows down digestion so it gives you control over when food leaves the stomach into the small intestine. It is the site where carbohydrates are broken down into glucose for energy use by cells throughout our bodies including those in fat tissue.
It makes it harder to accumulate more fat cells without burning through calories quicker than normal due to increased insulin sensitivity – this means less body fat!
A daily cup can rev up your metabolism
One of the most surprising things about coffee for weight loss is that it can help you burn calories and fat at a faster rate. There are two ways coffee helps you burn more calories:
- First, when your body breaks down caffeine, it releases byproducts called kynurenines. These chemicals have been shown to increase the amount of energy your cells use, which means they’ll also be burning more fat.
- Second, some research has found that drinking caffeinated beverages such as coffee (but not decaffeinated ones) leads to an increased feeling of fullness after meals—and thus less overall food intake throughout the day.
So there may be some truth behind this old wives’ tale!
Coffee may have appetite-suppressing benefits
While caffeine can cause your heart rate to rise, it may also help you burn more calories. As we mentioned above, caffeine actually increases the amount of fat burned by your body. In one study, participants who consumed caffeinated coffee experienced a greater increase in their metabolism than those who consumed decaf.
The study authors concluded that “the regular consumption of coffee may be considered as an additional means for controlling body weight and body fat mass.”
Coffee contains essential nutrients
Coffee is a rich source of many important nutrients. The antioxidants in coffee have been linked to a decreased risk of Parkinson’s disease, some types of cancer, and heart disease. Some studies even show that drinking four or more cups per day reduces your risk of Alzheimer’s by as much as 65%.
Coffee also contains potassium, magnesium (which helps boost energy levels), and vitamin B1 (or thiamine). This essential nutrient helps your body break down carbohydrates for energy production—no wonder it has such a positive effect on your mood!
All the extra stuff you add to coffee could be sabotaging your weight loss efforts
One of the most important things to understand about coffee is that it’s not just a calorie-free beverage.
Coffee itself contains approximately 5 calories per ounce, which isn’t much at all.
However, if you’re adding cream or sugar (or other sweeteners) to your cup of joe, then these added ingredients can add up quickly. We’ve already mentioned that a teaspoonful of sugar adds 16 calories per cup—but how many cups do you drink every day?
Calories from cream are generally high as well; 200 calories is an average estimate for one cup of java with heavy cream.
Coffee shops often offer flavored syrups and powders for their lattes and mochas—which might look harmless enough on their own labels but can easily add up to 100+ extra calories when combined with the rest of your order.
In order to really get the benefits you need to stick with basic black coffee.
In order to really get the benefits you need to stick with basic black coffee.
Coffee is a good source of antioxidants, which have been shown to reduce the risk of certain cancers and heart disease. There’s also evidence that coffee can boost your metabolism and decrease fat storage by increasing the amount of calories burned during exercise.
One study found that drinking two cups of espresso can suppress appetite for up to three hours, making it easier to avoid unhealthy snacks between meals. Coffee also has essential nutrients like vitamin B2 (riboflavin), potassium and magnesium; in fact, one cup of brewed regular drip contains about 20 percent of your daily recommended intake for each!
However, adding cream or sugar can negate all these benefits by adding extra calories and unnecessary sugars while decreasing beneficial nutrients like vitamin C since they’re not absorbed in your body when they’re mixed together with dairy products or other added sweeteners like honey or syrup.”
Conclusion
So, if you’re really serious about shedding some pounds, it may be worth reevaluating your coffee habits. And if you’re not a black coffee drinker, well—it might just be time to take the plunge! Who knows? You may find that it’s easier than you think to swap out those extra pumps of vanilla or caramel for a little self-control and a lot more health benefits.
