We love a quick fix and a new swath of coffee-inspired diets is making the rounds — or grounds, as it were — promising a lean life one cup at a time.
Coffee has long been lauded as a powerful jolt for eliminating jiggle. A recent study from Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health revealed that four cups of mud per day can lower body fat by approximately 4%.
The caffeine in coffee boosts metabolic rate, increasing how quickly your body burns fat, studies have found. Another smaller study found that ingesting caffeine led to a 13% increase in calorie burning and a two-fold increase in fat burning.
As of late, two caffeine-based diets, the 7-second coffee loophole and the bare-bones black cup coffee diet, have been brewing up fresh promises about the relationship between a cup of joe and a leaner life.
The 7-second coffee loophole
The 7-second coffee loophole is a viral weight loss technique that offers a simple solution to skinny. The premise is this: within seven seconds of feeling hungry, you should down a cup of coffee peppered with specific supplements or take them alongside your dirt water.
Recently, the term “7-second loophole” has been used to advertise coffee-based weight loss supplements.
Champions of the method claim that rapid coffee intake fools the body into feeling full, suppressing appetite and aiding weight loss.
Amy Shapiro MS, RD, CDN, founder and director of Real Nutrition, tells First For Women, “Coffee itself may help with weight loss because it does slightly increase your metabolism and act as an appetite suppressant.”
The 7-second loophole is founded on the relationship between hunger hormones and caffeine intake. According to advocates, drinking black coffee stimulates adrenaline and dopamine, curbing appetite. The aim of the game is to time your coffee consumption to combat the urge to eat.
The supplements commonly included in the coffee loophole are chromium, green tea extract, capsaicin, and L-carnitine. Known as fat burners, these supplements have long been studied for their potential to support weight loss by increasing metabolic rate and promoting fat oxidation.
While certain evidence suggests they may have that potential, research is limited, and the overall impact of these so-called fat burners on sustainable weight loss is modest at best.
The Coffee Diet
The Coffee Diet is an even easier approach to making your cup of joe work for weight loss. The Coffee Diet promotes the idea that practitioners will drop pounds quickly by increasing black coffee consumption and restricting calorie intake.
The diet gained traction with the publication of Dr. Bob Arnot’s book, “The Coffee Lover’s Diet.” The book claims that adding several cups of coffee to your daily routine alongside a whole foods diet rich in fruits, veggies, whole grains and limited processed foods can amp up metabolism, curb hunger and aid anyone on their weight loss journey.
The diet calls for three cups of black coffee per day.
Practitioners of the Coffee Diet must keep their mugs free of creams and sweeteners, as research published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that while drinking a cup of coffee a day aids weight loss, adding as little as a teaspoon of sugar negates the benefit entirely.
Research supports the claim that coffee can decrease body weight, body fat and BMI. As The Post previously reported, coffee contains chlorogenic acid, which has been shown to increase fat burning and may help slow the absorption of carbohydrates. Coffee consumption is linked to a variety of other health benefits.
- Coffee is rich in antioxidants that reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the body.
- Coffee improves focus and cognitive function, helping drinkers stay alert and productive.
- Caffeine can enhance physical performance by increasing adrenaline levels, leading to prolonged calorie-torching sweat sessions. A better workout is linked to muscle maintenance and more caloric expenditure, both keystones for weight loss.
- Coffee can guard against serious diseases. Regular consumption has been linked to a reduced risk of several diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
- In several studies, coffee has been linked to longevity.
While the beans can certainly be a boon, coffee consumption does have its drawbacks, including raising blood pressure and exacerbating anxiety and sleep disorders. Still, coffee may support weight loss and offers myriad benefits to the body but a healthy diet and an active lifestyle remain the cornerstones of optimal health.
