Green coffee beans have supplied a new player in the antioxidant arena. An extract of green coffee beans has been found to have a stronger antioxidant effect than established antioxidants such as green tea and grape seed extract.
The active constituent in coffee that's responsible for its many health advantages is a compound called chlorogenic acid. It neutralizes totally free radicals, and addresses the problem of hydroxyl radicals, both of which may result in cellular degeneration if left uncontrolled. Chlorogenic acid also helps regulate metabolism. Compared to green tea and grape seed extract, green coffee bean extract is two times as effective in absorbing oxygen free radicals.
One of the benefits of using the green coffee bean extract is that the damaging effects of coffee are prevented. The chlorogenic acid is thought to boost metabolism by changing the way glucose is taken up by the body. And it does contain caffeic acids, which give a boost to energy levels such as regular coffee does. But unlike boiled coffee, green coffee bean extract contains no cafestol, that is a diterpene. Along with its diterpene relative kahweol, cafestol increases concentrations of the 'bad' cholesterol, LDL, to levels that over a lifetime might increase the risk of coronary heart disease by approximately 20% These diterpenes also had an effect on the levels of liver enzymes measured. When these are elevated it is an indication of stress on the liver. Nevertheless the study that measured this found this was a transient effect, and also that the levels of liver enzymes were much lower than those with liver disease.
As a side note on the health effect of the diterpenes found in regular coffee, it had been found that by simply drinking filter coffee, none of these effects on cholesterol levels or the liver took place. The coffee filter removed the offending diterpenes. And levels of these diterpenes in instant coffee are low.
Other benefits of green coffee bean extract include an increase in the effectiveness of pain killers, particularly for migraine medications; a reduction in the risk of diabetes; and assisting the body burn a higher proportion of lipids (fats) compared to carbohydrates, which could help with muscle exhaustion for athletes and bodybuilders.
Curiously, on the topic of caffeine and liver disease, further studies have indicated it might actually support liver health for many people. Those who were at high risk of developing liver disease due to drinking an excessive amount of alcohol were discovered less likely to endure liver damage if they drank more than 2 cups of coffee or tea a day. This was a population based study, not a clinical trial, and so is not conclusive on the subject. However it does offer some promising info. Those drinking in extra of two cups or more each day were half as likely to develop liver disease compared to those drinking less than one cup a day. Researchers don't know what caused this protective effect.
One of the criticisms of coffee when it comes to well being is that it leaches calcium from the bones. But this effect has been found to be overemphasized, at least in children. And adults who consume a diet with adequate levels of calcium will be protected from the little amount of calcium that is lost due to coffee consumption.
So the old adage that caffeine can stunt a kid's growth is a myth. It had been based on the fact that in older studies, caffeine was associated with low bone mass because those studies were done on elderly people who both drank lots of coffee and had diets that were low in calcium. Current studies in the US adopted 80 teenagers over 6 years, and found no difference in the bone density of those with a high level of caffeine in their diet, in contrast to those teenagers who had little caffeine. Other studies established that the amount of calcium lost from bones is small and can be balanced by having sufficient calcium in your diet.
References: Australian Healthy Food Magazine, January.
http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?n=643516&m=1FSND06&idP=2&c=qgtqmovbyiaxdub
http://www.sciencenews.org/pages/sn_arch/11_30_96/food.htm
The active constituent in coffee that's responsible for its many health advantages is a compound called chlorogenic acid. It neutralizes totally free radicals, and addresses the problem of hydroxyl radicals, both of which may result in cellular degeneration if left uncontrolled. Chlorogenic acid also helps regulate metabolism. Compared to green tea and grape seed extract, green coffee bean extract is two times as effective in absorbing oxygen free radicals.
One of the benefits of using the green coffee bean extract is that the damaging effects of coffee are prevented. The chlorogenic acid is thought to boost metabolism by changing the way glucose is taken up by the body. And it does contain caffeic acids, which give a boost to energy levels such as regular coffee does. But unlike boiled coffee, green coffee bean extract contains no cafestol, that is a diterpene. Along with its diterpene relative kahweol, cafestol increases concentrations of the 'bad' cholesterol, LDL, to levels that over a lifetime might increase the risk of coronary heart disease by approximately 20% These diterpenes also had an effect on the levels of liver enzymes measured. When these are elevated it is an indication of stress on the liver. Nevertheless the study that measured this found this was a transient effect, and also that the levels of liver enzymes were much lower than those with liver disease.
As a side note on the health effect of the diterpenes found in regular coffee, it had been found that by simply drinking filter coffee, none of these effects on cholesterol levels or the liver took place. The coffee filter removed the offending diterpenes. And levels of these diterpenes in instant coffee are low.
Other benefits of green coffee bean extract include an increase in the effectiveness of pain killers, particularly for migraine medications; a reduction in the risk of diabetes; and assisting the body burn a higher proportion of lipids (fats) compared to carbohydrates, which could help with muscle exhaustion for athletes and bodybuilders.
Curiously, on the topic of caffeine and liver disease, further studies have indicated it might actually support liver health for many people. Those who were at high risk of developing liver disease due to drinking an excessive amount of alcohol were discovered less likely to endure liver damage if they drank more than 2 cups of coffee or tea a day. This was a population based study, not a clinical trial, and so is not conclusive on the subject. However it does offer some promising info. Those drinking in extra of two cups or more each day were half as likely to develop liver disease compared to those drinking less than one cup a day. Researchers don't know what caused this protective effect.
One of the criticisms of coffee when it comes to well being is that it leaches calcium from the bones. But this effect has been found to be overemphasized, at least in children. And adults who consume a diet with adequate levels of calcium will be protected from the little amount of calcium that is lost due to coffee consumption.
So the old adage that caffeine can stunt a kid's growth is a myth. It had been based on the fact that in older studies, caffeine was associated with low bone mass because those studies were done on elderly people who both drank lots of coffee and had diets that were low in calcium. Current studies in the US adopted 80 teenagers over 6 years, and found no difference in the bone density of those with a high level of caffeine in their diet, in contrast to those teenagers who had little caffeine. Other studies established that the amount of calcium lost from bones is small and can be balanced by having sufficient calcium in your diet.
References: Australian Healthy Food Magazine, January.
http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?n=643516&m=1FSND06&idP=2&c=qgtqmovbyiaxdub
http://www.sciencenews.org/pages/sn_arch/11_30_96/food.htm
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