US – Green coffee bean extract may help lose weight

New York – Green coffee bean extract (GCBS) may help lose weight by interrupting fat absorption and enhancing fat metabolism, suggests a new animal study published online on March 17 in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

The study of male mice, conducted by Hiroshi Shimoda, Emi Seki, and Michio Aitani from Oryza Oil & Fat Chemical Co., Ltd in Japan, found that 0.5 percent and one percent of GCBS in the animal diet reduced visceral fat content and body weight in mice. Caffeine and chlorogenic acid found in coffee beans also tended to have the similar effect.

An early Italian epidemiological study found coffee contains highest antioxidant capacity among the commonly consumed beverages, according to the study. The current study was to examine the effect of GCBE on fat accumulation and body weight in mice.

For the study, researchers fed mice a standard diet containing GCBE, caffeine, chlorogenic acid, main constituents in GCBE, and other components for 14 days. Serum hepatic triglyceride (TG) level was analyzed to examine the effect of GCBE and other compounds on fat absorption. Hepatic TG metabolism was assessed by analyzing carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) activity.

Oral administration of GCBE at the level of100 and 200 mg per kg body weight per day for 13 days showed a tendency to reduce hepatic TG in mice. Likewise, in the same model, chlorogenic acid at the dose of 60 mg per kg per day reduced hepatic TG level, according to the study.

In mice loaded with olive oil at 5 ml per kg, 200 and 400 mg of GCBE per kg and 20 and 40 mg of caffeine per kg per day reduced serum TG level.

Both one percent of GCBE and a mixture of feruloylquinic acid at 0.081 percent and neochlorogenic acid at 0.028 percent or 0.055 percent and significantly enhanced hepatic CPT activity in mice. However, caffeine or chlorogenic acid alone did not enhance CPT activity, indicating neither has an effect on fat.
The researchers suggest GCBE may help weight loss and fat absorption by facilitating fat metabolism and inhibiting fat absorption in the liver.

“Caffeine was found to be a suppressor of fat absorption, while chlorogenic acid was found to be partially involved in the suppressive effect of GCBE that resulted in the reduction of hepatic TG level. Phenolic compounds such as neochlorogenic acid and feruloylquinic acid mixture, except chlorogenic acid, can enhance hepatic CPT activity,” the researchers write.

Source : www.foodconsumer.org