Your day might be incomplete without a cup of coffee and if you are a fan of black coffee, then it probably means you’re passionate enough to appreciate coffee just for its richness and refreshing aroma.
Coffee is the most widely consumed source of caffeine. It is one of the world’s most favorite beverages because of its power to keep you alert, focused, and productive throughout the day.
While coffee has several health benefits, like reduced risk of diabetes and heart disease, improved cognitive functions and memory, and increasing life expectancy, black coffee can especially lend you a helping hand in losing weight.
Research published in the International Journal of Epidemiology in 2015, studied the eating habits of more than 93,000 people to find a comparative link between coffee consumption and weight. The research revealed that people who drank more coffee had a reduced risk of obesity, as well as a reduced risk of type II diabetes.
Here are 6 ways black coffee can help you out in your weight loss plan:
Antioxidants
Coffee, in general, is the biggest source of antioxidants, but black coffee comprised of an antioxidant called chlorogenic acid that has a key role in weight loss.
Drinking black coffee after a meal is most beneficial. This chlorogenic acid not only slows down glucose production but also reduces the formation of new fat cells during digestion. This amazing quality only exists in black coffee, as it is richer in caffeine and chlorogenic acid than regular coffee that has milk or cream added to it.
Improves Exercise Performance
Caffeine is known for its energy-boosting properties. It releases adrenaline in your body which activates a”fight or flight” response, improving energy levels and performance.
Caffeine is an ergogenic food (foods that enhance energy use, production, or recovery) and is known to help athletes train harder and longer. Caffeine is remarkably great for providing endurance, power, and muscle recovery. It also helps in delaying muscle fatigue and exhaustion. It even releases endorphins and decreases lactic acid build-up. Caffeine also helps by stimulating the brain to clearer thinking and greater concentration.
Caffeine can enhance physical performance by up to 12%, by breaking down body fat into free fatty acids releasing them into the blood, and making them available as fuel for energy.
According to a 2009 study in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, a dose of caffeine can reduce the amount of pain perceived by low to moderate caffeine consumers if it is taken before exercise.
Another research published in 2007 in The Journal of Pain, showed that moderate doses of caffeine (approximately two cups of coffee) also decrease post-exercise soreness by up to 48 percent.
More performance stamina means more energy available for you to hit the gym and shed off some extra pounds.
Increases Metabolic Activity
Black coffee contains more caffeine than regular coffee. This caffeine boosts metabolic activity and increases your energy level as well as suppressing your appetite. What more would you want for an ideal weight loss plan?
The greater the speed of your metabolism, the easier it is for you to lose weight, and the more you can let yourself eat without gaining extra pounds.
Studies prove that caffeine can speed up the metabolic rate by 3-11%, with larger doses having an even greater effect. Most of the increase in metabolism is caused by an increase in the burning of fat. Even better isn’t it?
Burns Fat
Caffeine has always been a popular ingredient in commercial fat burning supplements. The fight-or-flight hormones that caffeine produces signal the fat tissues to release lipids into the bloodstream, where they can be burned off.
Studies show that caffeine stimulates the nervous system, producing direct signals to fat cells to be broken down and used as energy. This research also reveals that people who drink caffeine before exercise burn more fat than those who don’t. So grab a cup of black coffee half an hour before your workout.
Caffeine increases metabolism by oxidation of fats. It can break down fat cells from stored body fat, and get them absorbed in blood as free fatty acids, available to use as energy.
Another substance that helps burn fat is chlorogenic acid present in black coffee. It is capable of not only reducing fat absorption but also easily breaking down fat during digestion. Hence, you get to burn fat on a daily basis if you are a black coffee drinker.
Reduces Water Weight
While dehydration is a much-known problem, retaining water can also be uncomfortable and cause a bloated, heavy feeling especially noticed in the stomach area, hands or feet.
Water retention can happen due to various reasons. For example, foods with high sodium content, processed carbohydrates, high sugar foods, lack of physical activity, and even some medications can retain too much water. Some people weigh more just because of excess water content in their bodies.
Black coffee can help in temporary weight loss, which is done by eliminating the unwanted wastewater and fluid accumulation in the body through urination. Caffeine is responsible for this effect as it is a known diuretic, a substance that removes water from your system and flushes it out into the urine.
What needs to be remembered here is that caffeine can induce dehydration in people who don’t have problems with water retention. So it’s essential to be moderate in your intake of coffee.
Low-Calorie Beverage
Drinking black coffee can bring some major changes to your everyday calorie level as it keeps you active and boosts your metabolism by burning more carbs and fats. The amazing part is that it also saves you from the extra calories you get by avoiding sugar and milk/cream.
If you drink coffee and also want to lose weight, having it black is your ideal option here. The coffee preparation itself is not important for the health benefits, but becomes important for the taste (Read more at “Percolator vs Drip Coffee Maker: Which Is Right for You?“. Black coffee is said to have zero calories as it’s only cream and sugar that add pounds to your body.
A typical cup of coffee with 2 tsp of sugar and an ounce of milk or cream comes with a total of 69 calories! So the average American who drinks approximately 3 cups of coffee per day, is getting extra 207 calories by drinking regular coffee.
Just by switching to black coffee and ditching the sugar and cream for a year will help you avoid more than 75,000 calories (equal to 22 pounds of fat)!
