| Green coffee beans have supplied a new player in the | | | | especially for migraine medications; a reduction in the |
| antioxidant arena. An extract of green coffee beans | | | | risk of diabetes; and assisting the body burn a higher |
| has been found to have a stronger antioxidant effect | | | | proportion of lipids (fats) compared to carbohydrates, |
| than established antioxidants like green tea and grape | | | | which could help with muscle fatigue for athletes and |
| seed extract. | | | | bodybuilders. |
| The active constituent in coffee that is responsible for | | | | Interestingly, on the subject of caffeine and liver |
| its many health benefits is a compound called | | | | disease, further studies have indicated it may in fact |
| chlorogenic acid. It neutralizes free radicals, and | | | | support liver health for some people. Those who were |
| addresses the problem of hydroxyl radicals, both of | | | | at high risk of developing liver disease due to drinking |
| which can lead to cellular degeneration if left | | | | too much alcohol were found less likely to suffer liver |
| unchecked. Chlorogenic acid also helps regulate | | | | damage if they drank more than two cups of coffee |
| metabolism. Compared to green tea and grape seed | | | | or tea a day. This was a population based study, not a |
| extract, green coffee bean extract is twice as | | | | clinical trial, and so is not conclusive on the subject. But |
| effective in absorbing oxygen free radicals. | | | | it does offer some promising information. Those |
| One of the advantages of using the green coffee | | | | drinking in excess of two cups or more a day were |
| bean extract is that the negative effects of coffee | | | | half as likely to develop liver disease compared to |
| are avoided. The chlorogenic acid is thought to boost | | | | those drinking less than one cup a day. Researchers |
| metabolism by changing the way glucose is taken up | | | | do not know what caused this protective effect. |
| by the body. And it does contain caffeic acids, which | | | | One of the criticisms of coffee in regards to health is |
| give a boost to energy levels like regular coffee does. | | | | that it leaches calcium from the bones. But this effect |
| But unlike boiled coffee, green coffee bean extract | | | | has been found to be overemphasized, at least in |
| contains no cafestol, which is a diterpene. Along with | | | | children. And adults who consume a diet with sufficient |
| its diterpene relative kahweol, cafestol increases | | | | levels of calcium will be protected from the small |
| concentrations of the 'bad' cholesterol, LDL, to levels | | | | amount of calcium that is lost due to coffee |
| that over a lifetime might increase the risk of coronary | | | | consumption. |
| heart disease by as much as 20% These diterpenes | | | | So the old axiom that caffeine can stunt a child's |
| also had an effect on the levels of liver enzymes | | | | growth is a myth. It was based on the fact that in older |
| measured. When these are elevated it is an indicator | | | | studies, caffeine was associated with low bone mass |
| of stress on the liver. However the study that | | | | because those studies were done on elderly people |
| measured this found this was a transient effect, and | | | | who both drank a lot of coffee and had diets that |
| also that the levels of liver enzymes were much lower | | | | were low in calcium. Recent studies in the US followed |
| than those with liver disease. | | | | 80 teenagers over 6 years, and found no difference in |
| As a side note on the health effect of the diterpenes | | | | the bone density of those with a high level of caffeine |
| found in regular coffee, it was found that by simply | | | | in their diet, compared to those teenagers who had |
| drinking filter coffee, none of these effects on | | | | little caffeine. Other studies determined that the amount |
| cholesterol levels or the liver took place. The coffee | | | | of calcium lost from bones is small and can be |
| filter removed the offending diterpenes. And levels of | | | | balanced by having sufficient calcium in your diet. |
| these diterpenes in instant coffee are low. | | | | References: Australian Healthy Food Magazine, |
| Other benefits of green coffee bean extract include | | | | January.nutraingredients.com/news |
| an increase in the effectiveness of pain killers, | | | | xdubsciencenews.org/pages/sn_arch/11_30_96/food. |