Why do you drink coffee?
Is it for its delicious taste and aroma?
Well, coffee also carries a wealth of health benefits to your body.
For instance, coffee has the potent ability to promote alertness and concentration temporarily.
Equally, coffee has been linked to lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes and liver disease.
However, there is a common question that has raised heated debate regarding the health benefits of coffee.
Does coffee affect weight loss?
Some say it does, some say it doesn’t. Who is right?
Let’s dive in.
Understanding how coffee works to enhance weight loss lies with knowing the components of coffee.
Caffeine is a psychoactive substance that is among the most consumed substances in the world and has become a common ingredient in the manufacture of fat burning supplements.
The inclusion of caffeine is these supplements stems from its association with increased metabolic rate and the mobilization of body fats from fat tissues.
Coffee also contains stimulants, which provides the body with potent and biologically active substances with significant influence on your metabolism.
Among these active stimulants are the following:
Research indicates that caffeine works as a brain stimulant through by blocking adenosine, an inhibitory transmitter.
Through Adenosine blockade, caffeine triggers the firing of neurons as well as the production of neurotransmitters like norepinephrine and dopamine.
Caffeine’s effects on the nervous system are critical in fat mobilization from fat tissue. Through the stimulation of the nervous system, relay of direct signals to the fact cells occurs. The signals necessitate the breakdown of fat by the fat cells.
Recent research points to the fact that caffeine also has the effect of enhancing adrenaline levels in the blood via the hormone epinephrine. As epinephrine travels through the blood to the fat tissues, it triggers the breakdown of body fats and subsequent release into the blood.
Therefore, caffeine enhances the mobilization of fats from fat tissues in the body.
As a result, the fat in the body is transformed into free fatty acids for use by the body.
How many calories do you burn each day?
The number of calories the body can burn during rest is referred to as the resting metabolic rate (RMR).
When your rate of metabolism is high, it becomes easier to shed off unwanted weight. With a higher metabolic rate, you can eat without the worry of gaining weight.
According to scientific research, caffeine can enhance the rate of metabolism by 3-11% percent. Larger caffeine doses may yield even higher rates of metabolism.
Higher metabolic rates means more fat burning, and more so for young people than older folks.
And how does caffeine come in?
Caffeine can promote your athletic performance, which triggers your rate of metabolism.
One way through which this substance enhances athletic performance entails the mobilization of body fat. As revealed through research, caffeine has been found to increase the athletic performance of its consumers by an estimated average of 12%.
Your body can get used to high levels of caffeine and become resistant to it.
So in the short term caffeine may boost your metabolic rate, but as time passes (and caffeine consumption remains high) you won’t see the same gains.
Pro Tip: Give Butter Coffee a try if you want a filling combination of caffeine and healthy fats that will keep you satiated until your next scheduled meal.
However, this does not mean that you will not benefit from coffee with regards to weight loss.
Even with the body expending fewer calories due to caffeine, you still will benefit from chlorogenic acid, which serves to suppress your craving and appetite. This helps you eat less, thereby reducing the number of calories you ingest.
Thus far we’ve talked about caffeine in coffee, which is there whether you’re drinking regular coffee or espresso.
But when you start adding things to your coffee, such as cream and sugar, those weight loss benefits can be overridden.
Even when drinking black coffee which is calorie-free, it is recommended that you consume coffee in moderation to avoid caffeine overdose.
Remember, too much intake of caffeine might trigger the following:
If you must drink a lot of coffee, it’s recommended you stick to a maximum of three cups each day.
You may also drink fruit infused water when not drinking coffee. In addition to helping you stay hydrated and improving your digestions, drinking around 2.1 liters of water each day may help you in weight loss by about 30%.
Fruit infused water bottles are the secret to drinking water repeatedly for better weight loss. Prepare a list of your favorite herbs and fruits and make your fruit-infused water today.
This was a guest post by Amelia Johnson, a writer/editor with an endless passion for bringing a lot of useful and trustworthy information to the community. She founded stayhealthyways.com, a blog dedicated to sharing quality articles related to health, nutrition, fitness and beauty. As a typical introvert, Amelia is a perfectionist in her work. At times of leisure, she reads, listens to music, chats with some close friends and walks with her pet.
