The coffee you drink in the morning can have an affect on your weight-loss goals. If you're trying to lose weight, you may be wondering if coffee is good for weight loss or if coffee makes you gain weight.
The scientific community is divided on whether there is a connection between coffee intake and weight loss. Some preliminary research suggests there may be a connection, but more research is needed to confirm this. Therefore, dietitians does not recommend increasing your coffee or caffeine intake based on this preliminary research.
If you have a heart condition or are concerned about your blood pressure, be careful about how much caffeine you consume, as it can increase your blood pressure, advises Monica L Capille, RD, LDN.
There is a lot of information that can help people understand the health benefits or risks of drinking coffee.
Does drinking coffee help you lose weight?
There is no definitive answer on whether coffee consumption has any effect on weight loss. Some studies suggest that coffee may help to stimulate weight loss, but there is not enough evidence to support this claim. Additionally, there is no evidence to suggest that coffee can help to target fat in specific areas of the body.
Research that points to coffee aiding weight loss:
- Caffeine may stimulate brown adipose tissue, or the fat in your body that burns calories, per a 2019 study in Scientific Reports. Essentially, researchers discovered that drinking one cup of coffee increases your metabolic rate to the point that brown adipose tissue activity occurs, leading to fat burning and weight loss.
- People who drank four cups of caffeinated coffee per day saw a four percent decrease in body fat, according to 2020 research by Harvard researchers that was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study’s authors suspect this is because drinking coffee raises a person’s metabolic rate, which means more calories burned.
- Caffeinated mate tea extract was found to reduce the incidence of weight gain and body fat accumulation in a 2020 study in rats in the Journal of Functional Foods. The same results weren’t seen with decaffeinated extract, suggesting it’s the caffeine in mate, at least, that promotes weight loss. But remember, you're not a rat! The findings in humans could be different.
Can drinking coffee make you gain weight?
Most recent studies suggest that coffee has more negative than positive effects. Here is what the research says.
Research that points to coffee hindering weight loss:
- Drinking higher amounts of caffeinated beverages, like coffee, is associated with an increase in body mass index (BMI). A 2021 study in the Food & Function journal followed 661 college students and found that those who consumed more caffeinated drinks usually slept worse—more on that in a sec—and had a higher BMI.
- Drinking caffeinated coffee has been linked to an increase in sugar cravings, meaning that your a.m. cup could be setting you up for making bad snack choices later on in your day (and preventing you from losing weight). On the other hand, a 2017 study in the Journal of Food Science showed that drinking a cup of caffeinated coffee messed with people’s taste buds, particularly their interpretation of sweetness. You may end up consuming sweeter and sweeter foods or drinks (a.k.a. more calories and carbs) because of this.
- Drinking coffee even six hours before bedtime can cause sleep disturbances, per a 2013 study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. This has a broader impact than just making you extra sleepy: Poor or insufficient sleep has been repeatedly linked to weight gain.
Studies have found mixed results when it comes to coffee and weight loss/gain. So, if you like coffee, you can continue to drink it in moderation. However, don't rely on coffee to help you lose weight, as there is no clear evidence that it does.
When should you drink coffee to lose weight?
If you want to avoid disrupting your sleep schedule, make sure to have your last cup of coffee before 2:00 p.m.
According to Capille, it is also beneficial to have coffee with breakfast. When a person wakes up in the morning, their cells are prepared to support the body; however, the cells need sustenance to produce energy. If someone foregoes breakfast, the cells will look to the fat and muscle cells as food sources.
What can you put in your coffee to lose weight?
Mindfulness is key when it comes to adding cream and sugar to your coffee. Too much of either can cancel out coffee's positive effects and sabotage your weight loss goals. Try using sugar-free syrups or stevia to sweeten your coffee instead.
Decaffeinated coffee and regular coffee both have the same nutrients. Every cup of coffee will still contain lots of beneficial niacin, potassium, magnesium, and antioxidants. Choose your favorite blend of coffee and drink it without adding anything to it. Black coffee and sweetened coffee are both fine, as long as you don't add too much to it.
What about coffee supplements? Are those healthy?
While you may not like the taste of coffee, you can still get the benefits from green coffee bean extract.
There is a supplement derived from unroasted coffee beans which allegedly contain higher levels of chlorogenic acids. This extract is sometimes taken as a weight-loss supplement, although there is no evidence that it is effective.
WHAT IS THE COFFEE DIET?
The “coffee diet” is a phrase that refers to the following eating plan created by Bob Arnot, MD. The basic tenets of the coffee diet include:
- Drinking at least 3 cups of black coffee daily for fat burning
- Eating 1,500 calories or less
- Choosing a healthy diet of vegetables, lean proteins, unrefined grains, and unprocessed foods
The coffee diet proposed by Dr. Arnot is said to help with weight loss by burning fat. Although many people have reported success, there is no concrete evidence yet to support how effective the diet is.
What coffee is best for weight loss? A light roast coffee may help dieters lose weight more quickly. Lighter coffee roasts, such as a gold roast, have a higher level of antioxidants and a less bitter taste, making it easier for coffee drinkers to consume without sweeteners.
Some people argue that the coffee diet is not sustainable because it requires reducing the number of calories you eat. However, it is clear that black coffee can help you burn fat.
Whether or not you follow Arnot's “coffee diet,” there is plenty of evidence that coffee can support a healthy weight as part of a healthy diet and active lifestyle.
What are the health benefits of drinking coffee? Regularly ingesting black coffee:
- Promotes fat burn
- Suppresses appetite
- Provides antioxidants
- Increases fasting benefits
It’s important to know that caffeine is what gives coffee its fat-burning properties, so be sure to choose coffee that has caffeine in it when trying to lose weight.
There is one more thing to remember: coffee is delicious by itself, however, it probably will not help you lose weight by itself. It is just one part of a healthy diet.
1. PROMOTES FAT BURN
Coffee can help you burn fat by increasing your metabolism and giving you more energy to be active.
Whether you are in the gym or not, coffee will help to increase your metabolism and may even help to increase your basal metabolic rate. If you have a higher metabolic rate, it means that you will burn more calories, even if you are not physically active.
2. SUPPRESSES APPETITE
It's widely known that people's eating habits change when they are trying to lose weight, and nobody likes feeling hungry. Fortunately, coffee can help suppress appetite.
Simply put, coffee makes you feel full for longer.
3. PROVIDES ANTIOXIDANTS
Good news: Coffee is an excellent source of antioxidants, which have been proven to fight disease and promote weight loss. These compounds are plentiful in both coffee and green tea.
Polyphenols in light roast coffees can help boost the healthy bacteria in your gut, which can help you lose weight.
This type of roast contains more chlorogenic acid, which is an antioxidant that can help slow down your body's carb absorption and lower blood sugar.
On the one hand, light roast coffee beans have more caffeine and antioxidants than dark roast coffee beans.
4. INCREASES FASTING BENEFITS
Studies have shown that consuming black coffee while intermittent fasting can help people reach their fitness goals.
Other than helping with weight loss, studies have shown that drinking coffee may also help to reduce inflammation and protect against diseases. For people following the keto diet, coffee can also help to achieve ketosis.
If you both fast and drink coffee, you may lose weight more quickly than if you did just one of those things.
HOW COFFEE CAN STOP WEIGHT LOSS
Though coffee can help you lose weight, it may also prevent you from losing weight if you don't drink it carefully.
Here’s what you need to watch out for when drinking coffee for weight loss:
- Sugar
- Additives
- Sleep
- Digestive disruption
SUGAR
If you add sugar to your coffee, it will negate the benefits. Extra sugar in coffee means extra calories, which can hamper your weight loss efforts. In addition, high blood sugar is associated with weight gain.
If you consume sugar, your insulin levels will increase, which will then lead to increased hunger and cravings.
The best coffee to drink is one without any added sugars. Not only can sugars have negative effects on your health, but they can also prevent you from reaching your weight loss goals.
Yes, black coffee can help with weight loss by speeding up fat burn. Black coffee may also improve performance during workouts.
If you're not in the mood for a sugary coffee, try our Chai Spiced Gold coffee. It's full of flavor and sure to satisfy.
ADDITIVES
If you're not a fan of unflavored coffee, watch out for the unhealthy additives in coffee creamer beyond added sugars.
These additives can cause problems that make it difficult to lose weight, including inflammation, gut issues, and more.
These types of coffee additives can actually make it more difficult to lose weight.
For example, butter coffee – which is popular among people following a keto diet – is very high in calories. If you are not following a high-fat, low-carb diet, this type of coffee can make it difficult to achieve your weight loss goals.
SLEEP
Most people don't realize how important sleep is for weight loss. Not getting enough sleep can increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and make it more likely that you will make poor food choices.
It's recommended that coffee consumption be limited to 8 hours before bedtime so that the effects of caffeine don't disrupt sleep cycles.
Caffeine consumption late in the afternoon or evening can actually make it more difficult to achieve your goals.
DIGESTIVE DISRUPTION
For some individuals coffee can cause bloating or make IBS symptoms worse. (However, about 29% of people say that coffee helps them use the restroom directly after drinking it.)
If coffee is causing you intestinal issues or making you have to go to the bathroom frequently, it might not be the best idea to include it in your diet if you're trying to lose weight. A healthy digestive system is necessary for a high-functioning metabolism, so it's not worth it to make your body drink coffee if it's not agreeing with it.
Many coffee drinkers find that gold coffee is much easier on the stomach than regular coffee because it has low acidity.
What if I can’t have caffeine—does decaf coffee do any good for health or weight loss?
If you are trying to avoid caffeine altogether, you should stay away from both decaf coffee and regular coffee. However, if you are just trying to limit your intake of caffeine, the amount of caffeine in decaf coffee (about six milligrams per eight-ounce serving) is probably not harmful. That said, it is unlikely to help you much with your weight-loss goals.
Studies done on caffeine, coffee, and green tea seem to suggest that there is a connection to weight loss, according to Gorin. However, it's not definitive yet and more research is needed.
The antioxidants in coffee could help with weight loss, although it is not clear how significant the effects are. It is also possible that decaf coffee has appetite-suppressing effects, meaning that people who drink it may consume fewer calories overall. However, there is not enough evidence from studies to say definitively that decaf coffee aids weight loss.
