Whether a cold wet day or a bright sunny day, when you wake up in the morning or are in the midst of a busy day at work, the one thing that’s on your mind is a delicious cup of coffee. It equates to happiness, comfort, a clear mind and the warm feeling of a good energetic vibe.
A phenomenon that has turned into a reality and is of serious consideration for a lot of people today is the goal to achieve a “healthier” and “fitter” life. So, is there a better alternative and a way to balance caffeine intake? Fortunately yes and the answer is green coffee that is proclaimed as a superfood today!
Coffee beans are naturally green as they are the seeds of a fruit, which is called coffee cherry, but they are usually roasted before being sold to the consumer. Unlike regular coffee, green coffee is not roasted and hence has higher antioxidant power which is otherwise lost in the roasting process. Green coffee has Chlorogenic acid (CGA) which works as an antioxidant. Some of the health benefits of green coffee beans are:
Aids in weight management: Research suggests that Chlorogenic acid in unroasted green coffee beans helps reduce body fat (adiposity) by modifying obesity-related hormones and upregulating fatty acid breakdown in the liver as well as decreasing fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis.
Helps regulate blood sugar: It helps reduce the absorption of carbohydrates (lowering blood sugar and insulin spikes).
Helps regulate metabolism: It inhibits the release of glucose from the liver and helps to burn the stored fat to maintain blood glucose level. Thus, it helps boost metabolism and burn extra fat.
(The author is dietician & diabetes educator)