Is Coffee Good for Weight Loss? Please Say Yes!

Coffee: Nutritional Profile

Coffee is a beverage made by grinding coffee beans and brewing it in water. This process makes black coffee, which can be had as it is, or milk can be added to the black coffee to make coffee with milk. Sugar or a sweetener of choice can also be added to the coffee. Coffee can be served hot or cold as per your preference.

The nutritional value of 1 cup (240 g) of brewed black coffee with no cream or sugar added, is as follows:

Is coffee good for weight loss? Which coffee is best for weight loss? Let’s find out.

Benefits of Coffee for Weight Loss

Here is how coffee helps in weight loss. Coffee: 

Is low in calories

In order to manage your weight, you have to reduce your calorie intake by consuming low-calorie food and burning the calories you consume through physical activity.

Coffee is low in calories and having it in moderation should not affect your weight loss regime. In fact, 1 cup (240 ml) of black coffee has only 2 calories, which may increase slightly with the addition of low-fat milk and/or zero-calorie stevia. However, in moderation, this slight increase in calories should not have a major effect on your daily intake of calories.

May help decrease your appetite

Drinking coffee may reduce how hungry you feel, as it contains caffeine, which is known to suppress the hunger hormone known as ghrelin.

Thus, drinking coffee may suppress your appetite, lead to less calorie consumption overall, and help with weight loss.

May improve your metabolism

Have you observed caffeine in many weight loss supplements? The reason is that it is a natural stimulant, which may improve your body’s metabolism. 

1 cup (240 g) of black coffee contains about 96 mg of caffeine. Caffeine is known to increase your resting metabolism, which means it increases the number of calories you burn at rest. Thus, caffeine and coffee may contribute to weight loss even when you are not active.

Even if you prefer adding milk or a sweetener to your coffee, the caffeine content remains unaffected and thus this weight loss benefit still applies.

How to Make Coffee for Weight Loss?

Black coffee can be made by grinding whole roasted coffee beans to make ground coffee or you can buy pre-ground coffee. Then, you just need to brew the ground coffee in hot water to make black coffee. 

If you do not enjoy black coffee, here’s the deal. Those flavoured butter coffees, Caffe Breves, Frappes, Mochas, and Lattes you crave may not help you get to your weight loss goal any quicker. This doesn’t mean you have to head straight for black coffee.

Though black coffee is low in calories and may help with your weight loss efforts, you may find it hard to completely cut down on the milk and sugar that adds flavour and taste to your cuppa. 

Don’t be disappointed, you can modify your coffee to make it palatable while still keeping it favourable to your weight loss regime.

• If you take your coffee with milk, opt for low-fat milk instead of full-fat milk.
• Avoid adding creamer to your coffee.
• Add as little sugar as possible to your coffee. If you cannot drink coffee without a sweetener, You can add a little quantity of calorie-free natural sweetener like stevia.

Drinking coffee won't hinder you from losing weight unless it's loaded with extra sugar and too many calories.

How Much Coffee Can You Consume in a Day to Lose Weight?

Healthy adults are advised to limit themselves to 400 mg of caffeine per day as too much caffeine can cause undesirable side effects like anxiety, rapid heart rate, headache, insomnia, and an upset stomach. 

1 cup (about 240 ml) of coffee contains 96 mg of caffeine. If you do not consume caffeine in any other form, you should limit yourself to 4 cups (960 ml) of coffee, black or otherwise. 

If you drink your coffee with milk, creamer, or a sweetener, keep in mind that each cup can add in a few extra calories to your daily calorie intake.

What is the Best Time to Drink Coffee for Weight Loss?

The best time to consume coffee is in the first half of the day. It is advisable not to drink coffee for at least 6 hours before you go to bed as the caffeine content in coffee can cause sleep problems.

Also, avoid drinking coffee on an empty stomach upon rising and take it with your breakfast instead. The levels of stress hormone cortisol are high during early mornings and drinking coffee at this time can cause its levels to peak as caffeine is known to increase cortisol. Thus, choose a time between 9 to 11:30 am for your morning coffee, when your cortisol levels are much lower.

What are the Risks of Overconsumption of Coffee?

Overconsumption of coffee might pose some undesired effects:

1. Coffee contains a high caffeine content, which is known to release adrenaline to make you feel more alert. However, drinking too much coffee can release high levels of stress hormones in your body, which may make you more nervous and anxious. 
2. Drinking coffee can help keep your mind awake. But, too much coffee may lead to disturbed sleeping patterns. It is best to avoid the consumption of coffee late in the evening or 6 hours before going to bed to avoid insomnia.
3. Caffeine promotes bowel movement and helps food move through your digestive tract. Given this effect, overconsumption of coffee may cause nausea, stomach upset, and diarrhoea.
4. The caffeine in coffee may raise your blood pressure levels and heart rate. It may be a temporary effect but it is best to monitor your symptoms if you have any heart problems. 
5. Having coffee regularly and in large quantities may cause some mild psychological or physical dependency, and on abrupt withdrawal, cause discomfort such as headache, irritability, mood swings, difficulty concentrating, etc.

What are the Other Health Benefits of Coffee?

When consumed in moderation, coffee may have several health benefits, including:

• The caffeine in coffee stimulates the central nervous system, boosts your energy and fights fatigue by altering levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain.
• As per studies, coffee may decrease the risk of heart disease. However, if you have unmanaged blood pressure, you need to drink coffee in moderation because of caffeine’s effect on blood pressure.
• Some studies suggest that regular consumption of coffee may decrease the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. This may be due to its ability to preserve the function of pancreatic beta cells and the effect of its antioxidants on insulin sensitivity, inflammation, and metabolism.
• Drinking coffee may help reduce the risk of depression, and Alzheimer’s disease due to the cognition- or brain-enhancing properties of caffeine.
• Some studies suggest that coffee may help in preventing some kinds of cancers including liver, endometrial, and colorectal cancer.
• Studies also show that drinking coffee may reduce the risk of developing cirrhosis, a chronic liver disease and liver scarring.
• Studies suggest that coffee is rich in antioxidants, which rejuvenate the cells in your body and delay ageing.