Caffeine and weight loss are rumored to be linked. However, does caffeine help you lose weight for real?
A hot cup of freshly brewed coffee is one of the most preferred ways to start the day. But there is also no denying that caffeine is a popular stimulant that has risks and rewards of its own.
However, today we will be focusing on caffeine’s widely touted benefit which is weight loss.
Caffeine is one the most popular psychoactive drugs that works as a performance-enhancing supplement because of exciting the Central Nervous System. This is why people regard it to be useful for losing weight by supporting exercise activity and inducing thermogenesis.
This is why people feel energetic and awake for hours after consuming caffeine. But is caffeine good for weight loss? Does it really hold the potential to help you get back in shape?
Let’s delve in to know does caffeine help you lose weight or if it is just an old wive’s tale.
Does Caffeine Help You Lose Weight?
In short, yes!
However, the effectiveness of caffeine for weight loss depends on how much and how you take it.
The chemical structure of caffeine includes Methylxanthines which are alkaline and organic-based carbon substances that stimulate the Central Nervous System and heart.
To elaborate, consuming caffeine sends signals directly to the CNS and triggers the fat cells to burn excess fat.
Adding to it, consuming caffeine also increases the release of epinephrine which further stimulates the release of adrenaline.
This escalation in “fight or flight” chemicals increases the demand for fat breakdown leading to weight loss.
Adding to it, caffeine is also shown to improve athletic ability leading to more workouts and weight loss.
While all these theories are great, it’s crucial to know the scientific side of does caffeine helps you lose weight.
Caffeine and Weight Loss Research
The connection between caffeine and weight loss continues to grab the attention of the fitness world. As a result, it is still a popular research topic among researchers.
Moving on, there are scientific studies that back up caffeine is good for weight loss.
As per the reports published in Critical Reviews In Food Science, caffeine intake might improve Body Mass Index, weight, and fat reduction. The meta-analysis included 13 randomized controlled trials with 606 participants.
The systematic review shows that the effect of caffeine on weight was 0.29, 0.23 for BMI, and 0.36 for fat mass.
The study further concludes that every doubled intake of caffeine means an increase in mean reduction in weight by 2 fold.
Clearly, caffeine does help you with weight loss goals. The popular stimulant does so by triggering various bodily functions that lead to weight loss.
How Does Caffeine Help Lose Weight?
When it comes to how does caffeine help you lose weight, it has 3 main functions; boosting metabolism, burning fat, and suppressing appetite.
However, we have further added two more ways which include reducing water retention and improving testosterone hormone levels.
So, basically, caffeine helps you lose weight in 5 easy steps:
- Acts As An Appetite Suppressant
- Increases the Metabolic Rate
- Boosts Fat Metabolism
- Reduces Water Retention
- Improves Testosterone Level
Keep your cup of caffeine ready as we begin to delve into the details.
#1. Acts as an Appetite Suppressant
No more short kitchen trips looking for small treats to suffice your cravings.
Consuming caffeine is the perfect way to control your hunger pangs and cravings. It stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, reduces hunger, and increases satiety.
There are studies that suggest consuming caffeine 0.5 to 4 hours before meals to suppress appetite.
The decrease in the palatability of food also contributes to a decrease in energy taken leading to weight loss. It is best for those who have zero control over their calorie consumption.
To explain, caffeine reduces the overall food intake by suppressing appetite and thus controls excess calorie consumption. Staying satiated for longer further leads to weight loss.
Caffeine successfully puts a halt on your habit of munching every now and then.
#2. Increases the Metabolic Rate
No more being a couch potato all day staring at screens.
The next step in how caffeine helps you lose weight is by amplifying your metabolism.
Caffeine intake has a thermogenic effect on the body that increases the body temperature leading to faster fat burn.
A study published in the Journal Obesity Society concludes that high caffeine intake is associated with weight loss through thermogenesis and fat oxidation and suppressed leptin in women.
The study further concludes that low habitual caffeine consumption (green tea mixture) assists in weight management partly through thermogenesis and fat oxidation.
Adding to it, the increased metabolism frees the stored fat cells by converting them into energy through lipolysis.
Further, studies also suggest that caffeine helps you lose weight by increasing energy expenditure.
#3. Boosts Fat Metabolism
No more pot belly peeking from the button gaps!
Let’s just face it pot is neither healthy nor adorable. Caffeine assists in getting rid of the unsightly scene by boosting fat metabolism.
Notably, the most common caffeinated beverage i.e. coffee has a high chlorogenic acid concentration nearly 70-350mg per cup.
This chlorogenic acid regulates certain enzymes and pathways that accelerate weight loss by affecting fat accumulation.
Adding to it, consuming caffeine as a pre-workout drink helps with improving the body’s fat-burning process.
In fact, a study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that consuming caffeine 30 minutes before aerobic exercises raised fat burn.
Another study concludes that ingestion of 3 mg/kg of caffeine increased maximal fat oxidation rate, Fat max, and VO2 max.
#4. Reduces Water Retention
No more feeling like a balloon filled with water!
Many people don’t know but water retention is also among the causes of weight gain. Edema or water retention is swelling caused by holding on to fluids by the body.
Caffeine being a diuretic, doesn’t allow fluid retention and leads to weight loss. To explain, six hours after consuming caffeine, the body excretes excess caffeine through urine.
This helps alleviate the water retention process and prevents and treats the feeling of bloating and sluggishness.
Reports of a study suggest consumption of caffeinated beverages resulted in 0-84% retention of the initial ingestion in comparison to water consumption which resulted in 0-81% retention.
The study further concludes that caffeine tolerance is likely to reduce the detrimental fluid-electrolyte imbalance.
#5. Improves Testosterone Levels
No more being the victim of primary male hormones!
Testosterone- the primary male hormone is responsible for a lot of things and one of them is weight gain.
Notably, the decline in testosterone levels leads to reduced metabolism, fatigue, less energy, and low-fat oxidation in the boy and all of these result in weight gain.
At this point, consuming caffeine increases testosterone levels and increases energy.
In the study reports published by The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, chewing caffeinated gum at half time by rugby players increases salivary testosterone levels by 70% by the 15 minutes half time was up.
This allows you to spend more time at the gym and lose weight. High testosterone levels are also associated with fat loss while preserving muscle mass.
This was all about how does caffeine help you lose weight and slay that fit body.
However, it is important to understand that though caffeine does burn fat and results in weight loss, it doesn’t work the same for everyone. The major part of including caffeine to lose weight depends on how you use it.
How To Use Caffeine for Weight Loss?
A lot of caffeine weight loss results depend on how you use caffeine. Here is how to use caffeine to maximize weight loss results.
#1. If you are making a cup of joe at home, go for black coffee for weight loss with as little milk as possible.
So, does coffee with milk make you fat?
Well, it depends on the quantity you are using. Though coffee additives like sugar and milk prevent weight loss, whether they make you fat entirely relies on how much of it are you using.
#2. Pair your daily caffeine consumption with your exercise routine. For instance, you can use it as a pre-workout drink to accelerate gym performance.
It is also known to decrease exertion and fatigue during exercise.
Apart from preferring the right type of caffeine to pairing it with your workout regime, there is one more important thing to consider. We are talking about the right quantity of caffeine to include.
How Much Caffeine Per Day for Weight Loss?
It is recommended to stick to 1-3mg/kg of body weight caffeine for weight loss.
In a study, consumption of 10mg/kg of caffeine increased energy expenditure by 13% and also doubled the lipids turnover.
However, it is suggested not to get too much caffeine as it may lead to certain side effects like insomnia, headache, rapid heart rate, and even dehydration.
Moving on, though taking caffeine does help with weight loss, it is important to consider that it has some cons as well.
Though its consequences aren’t alarming as long as you are taking the right dosage, there are a few more things that you can do to make it safer for weight loss.
Consume caffeine in a healthy way to accelerate weight loss safely!
Healthy Ways to Take Caffeine for Weight Loss?
Caffeine is naturally present in a lot of food sources namely coffee and green tea.
However, because of its fat-burning and metabolism-boosting properties that lead to weight loss, it is also the main ingredient in leading weight loss and fat-burning supplements.
Additionally, energy drinks also contain this popular stimulant to enhance g the effects of their products.
Therefore there are several ways to consume caffeine to promote the weight loss process.
#1. Coffee
8 0unces (oz) cups of standard coffee contain 80-100 milligrams of caffeine. It also depends upon the type of coffee you include.
For instance, you can also go for green coffee beans. 1 cup of green coffee contains 20-50mg of caffeine. Adding to it, one espresso shot of 30-50ml contains 63mg of caffeine.
Does Decaf Coffee Count?
Decaf is not completely caffeine-free as an average cup contains 3mg of caffeine. Nonetheless, when it comes to weight loss, it is not of much help.
Notably, to make it more healthy, you can include a scoop of coconut oil. It’ll suppress appetite and increase satiety.
You can also include cocoa which will not only give it a chocolaty flavor but is also proven for weight loss. A pinch of turmeric with coffee will also help decrease body weight.
#2. Green and Black tea
8 ounces of 230ml of green tea includes 30 to 50 mg of caffeine. Whereas, an 8-ounce cup of black tea contains 45-90mg of caffeine.
You can improve the effectiveness of green tea and black tea for weight loss by avoiding adding sugar to it.
Adding to it, even though consuming green tea feels light, it is recommended not to consume more than 8 cups in a day.
#3. Supplements
Considering how caffeine helps you lose weight by triggering certain bodily functions, it is not surprising that supplements include caffeine in them.
A lot of weight loss pills, and fat-burning supplements in the market use caffeine in their formula to deliver desired results.
In fact, weight loss supplements with caffeine are even utilized by celebrities to boost their fitness journey.
In case you are not a fan of coffee and tea, it’s recommended to include weight loss supplements with caffeine in them.
However, you must do thorough research about the quantity and quality of ingredients used before buying any supplement.
#4. Energy Drinks
Caffeine is a great pre-workout drink and that is why one can easily find it in energy drinks.
Most energy drinks include caffeine which boosts energy levels. However, choose caffeinated energy drinks without sugar for better weight loss results.
Some of the meal replacement shakes also include caffeine to increase satiety. So if you are serious about your weight loss, you have more options than coffee and tea to include caffeine in your diet safely.
Still wondering does caffeine burn fat and help you lose weight?
Well, it actually does. All you need to do is consume the right source of caffeine in the right dosage to accelerate your weight loss process.
Final Note
If you want to include caffeine in your weight loss process, go for it. It is the best natural way to improve fat oxidation, metabolism, and hunger pangs.
Adding to it, caffeine is also great at stimulating the hormones that further assist in weight loss.
Nonetheless, while looking for results keep in mind that the weight loss transformation due to caffeine intake has a lot to do with quantity, quality, and type.
There are various ways to include caffeine in your diet ranging from traditional caffeinated beverages to supplements.
Choose according to your preference, body, and weight loss goals. While coffee and tea will give you safer results but might take a little longer, weight loss supplements with caffeine will deliver quick results but you might have to deal with minor side effects.
The choice is yours!