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What Are Green Coffee Beans?
The benefits of green coffee and the best ways to consume it
Published November 8, 2021
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Susan Rov
Coffee experts@The Coffee Lab
Green coffee is a popular trend within the health and fitness industry that is often sold as a supplement for its health benefits and weight loss boosting properties.
What is it, how does it work, and does it really promote fat loss?
This article will look closely at the benefits of green coffee together with all the most popular ways of consuming it.
What Is Green Coffee?
Green coffee beans are the coffee seeds of the Coffea fruit that haven’t been roasted. Similar to normal coffee beans, the seeds have been picked, harvested, and processed, without undergoing the roasting process. While beginner home roasters purchase green coffee to experiment with the roasting, other people look for green coffee without the intention of ever roasting it.
What are the other reasons for buying green coffee? Green coffee beans provide powerful health benefits and have been associated with weight loss-boosting properties. The green coffee beans contain higher levels of chlorogenic acid, most of which are normally lost during the roasting process.
The green coffee extract is also used in the Swiss Water decaffeination process. This is a non-chemical process of reducing the amount of caffeine in your cup without affecting the coffee’s taste.
Health Benefits of Green Coffee
The chlorogenic acid, which is found in green coffee beans, is responsible for most of the positive effects of coffee, including its strong antioxidant properties. These acids also affect how the body handles blood sugar and metabolism, and many people take green coffee supplements to help them treat obesity, diabetes, or high blood pressure.
Apart from reducing the amounts of chlorogenic acid, the roasting process also reduces the amount of caffeine inside the coffee beans. The green coffee thus contains higher levels of caffeine, which is where some of its benefits come from too.
Here are some of the most common benefits of green coffee:
- Improves blood sugar levels, lipid profiles, and insulin sensitivity, which can control the development of type 2 diabetes.
- Can lower blood pressure and boost the function of blood vessels in the body.
- Help to balance blood cholesterol levels.
- Can improve brain function, mood, and energy.
- Helps to fight free radicals and prevent chronic diseases.
How To Take Green Coffee Beans? Drinking Green Coffee
One of the ways in which you can consume coffee beans and experience some of their health benefits is to drink coffee made from green beans.
Don’t expect the coffee taste you’re used to. Since most of coffee’s flavor comes from the roasting process, when drinking green tea coffee, your experience is going to be very different. Green bean coffee has an amber color with hints of green and a milder, lighter flavor that can be sometimes described as “grassy” or similar to green or herbal tea.
Two Ways to Brew Green Coffee:
Using Whole Beans
Soak the green coffee beans overnight, then bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain the whole beans and enjoy.
Using Ground Coffee Beans
Grind your green coffee to a medium-fine setting, steep the grounds in hot water for 10 minutes and then strain.
Some people choose to prepare their green coffee directly from the beans and use this beverage as a replacement for their morning cup, boosted with health benefits and elevated levels of caffeine.
When trying to consume green coffee this way, remember that the better quality of beans will result in a better coffee, so selecting your green beans from a high-quality producer and of a single-origin, such as Ethiopia or Guatemala, will result in a better cup.
How To Consume Green Coffee for Weight Loss
Consuming green coffee for weight loss has been famously popularized by the American talk show hosted by Doctor Oz, who was the first to call out the miraculous weight loss and fat-burning properties of green coffee. While there is not enough reliable scientific evidence that would support these claims and more research is needed, many people choose to consume green coffee mainly for its weight loss benefits.
When consumed to support weight loss rather than trying a cup of coffee as a novelty coffee beverage, other forms of green coffee, such as green coffee powder or green coffee extract are more convenient options to get your daily dose of green coffee beans.
Green Coffee Beans Powder: How To Use
The two most common ways of consuming green coffee beans are to buy them in powder or capsule form. Capsules present a convenient option that requires no preparation, while green coffee powder allows you to adjust and control the dosage.
One thing to watch out for is that different brands of green coffee powder contain varying amounts of chlorogenic acid and caffeine, which can influence the recommended dosage.
How to prepare green coffee beans for weight loss
- Put ½ to 1 teaspoon of green coffee powder in your cup.
- Fill with hot water and stir well.
- Let it brew for around 5 minutes.
- Strain if needed and add a bit of cinnamon or a dash of milk to taste.
When To Drink Green Coffee Beans
When consuming ground green coffee beans for weight loss, its best effects have been observed in the morning. Drinking green coffee beans before breakfast can boost metabolism, curb your cravings and improve your energy levels.
Bear in mind that green coffee contains higher amounts of caffeine, so it shouldn’t be consumed in the evening to minimize its possible negative effects on sleep. Since there hasn’t been enough research done on the effects of green coffee beans, the official RDA hasn’t been determined yet.
While 400mg dose of green coffee a day has been trialed with no negative side effects, consider the amount of chlorogenic acid in your particular product and your own tolerance to caffeine when determining your dosage. Always select organic green coffee free of toxic fertilizers and pesticides and opt products that contain no additional ingredients.
Side effects of Green Coffee
Possible side effects of green coffee are similar to those associated with the consumption of too much caffeine. Going overboard with green coffee and its products can potentially cause headaches, restlessness, anxiety, and disrupted sleep.
Green Coffee Powder Reviews: What Do Others Say?
While some research on green coffee has demonstrated its positive effect on weight loss, most studies have been done with small sample size and for a short period of time.
While some people report positive effects, others claim that they haven’t observed any dramatic change and are repelled by its unpleasant grassy taste.
Even if green coffee could marginally help you lose weight, it cannot be compared with the power of exercise and a healthy diet.
The Verdict
If you’ve ever asked yourself the question: “what are green coffee beans,” now you know that they are the harvested and processed seeds of coffee plants that haven’t been roasted.
While they can be purchased by enthusiastic home coffee roasters, they are often consumed for their renowned health benefits and reported weight loss boosting properties. The reviews are mixed so we recommend trying it for yourself.
About the author
Susan Rov
A retired barista who turned into a writer. I love discovering coffee flavors and learning more about the magic bean.
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