It is a widely held belief that coffee makes it easier to lose weight. Why this is supposed to be, whether it is actually true and what you should consider in order to lose weight in a healthy way – more about this here.
Black coffee is low in calories and is therefore acceptable in most diets unless you supplement it with milk and sugar. What’s more, losing weight is said to be even easier with coffee. In fact, there are several foods that can help you lose weight, including many fruits and vegetables. So is there something to this effect when it comes to coffee?
Lose weight with coffee: that’s what science says
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Various studies suggest that coffee can help you lose weight because caffeine stimulates metabolism and fat burning. According to a study by the University of Nottingham, so-called brown adipose tissue, which the body uses to generate heat, plays a particularly important role. In return, it metabolizes fats and glucose, which can make it easier to lose weight. According to the Nottingham researchers, the brown body fat cells are stimulated when drinking coffee, thus promoting the weight loss process.
The assumption that caffeine has an appetite-suppressing effect and that coffee can help you lose weight in this way is also popular. In this regard, however, the evidence is rather thin. A study published in 2014 found no significant difference in appetite between two groups of people who took a caffeinated capsule or a caffeine-free placebo before meals.
A research team from the University of Hanover came to the conclusion in another study that regular caffeine consumption could help to maintain weight better. The core experimental group in this study consisted of around 500 people who had successfully reduced their body weight by 10 percent or more over the course of a year and were then able to maintain that weight for at least a year. During the period of the study, these 500 people consumed larger amounts of caffeine than around 2,000 randomly selected comparison people from the general public. In the evaluation, the coffee drinkers had a lower body mass index (BMI) than the people in the comparison group and had maintained their weight better in the long term.
Drinking coffee before exercising is said to lead to success when losing weight. According to the Pharmazeutische Zeitung, a Spanish study examined this connection. In order to support fat burning, athletes should therefore drink a strong coffee half an hour before training. However, this study is not representative as only 15 people and only men took part.
Lose weight with just coffee? That does not work!
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However, there are also studies that are a little more skeptical about losing weight with coffee. For example, a meta-study from 2022 basically confirms that coffee consumption – especially before exercise – can have a positive effect on fat metabolism. In this context, the results of a total of 94 individual studies were examined and compared. According to the scientists behind the meta-study, this positive effect on the metabolism is given, but overall it is quite small.
Incidentally, this also applies to special coffee preparations such as green coffee or bulletproof coffee. While there are already some studies on the effect of green coffee that confirm that it has a slightly supporting function when losing weight, the overall effect here is also rather small. There are no research results on the effect of Bulletproof Coffee. However, since it contains fat and sweeteners, it is questionable whether it is actually the best choice when dieting.
Utopia conclusion: Drinking coffee is not enough to lose weight. Other factors such as getting enough exercise and eating a balanced diet are more important in the long run to lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way. The stimulating effect of coffee can have a supporting effect. However, it is important that you do without sugar, milk and other additives. Basically, it is worthwhile to pay attention to organic quality and a fair trade seal when buying coffee, so that you do not harm the environment or other people with your coffee consumption.
The basic rule when losing weight is: take the time you need. Don’t let societal ideals of beauty tempt you into fast but often unsustainable diets. Instead, listen carefully to your own body and its needs. You can also learn more about this in these articles:
- Lose weight effectively: This is how it works in a healthy and sustainable way
- Lose weight fast? Not a good intention! This is how weight loss works naturally
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