Image Source: FreeImages
There’s a lot of research out there about how various foods can affect your weight, but it can be hard to know what is true and what isn’t. This is especially the case with things like drinks or snacks that you could eat in small quantities without blowing your diet plan. But that doesn’t mean that you should ignore all the science when considering whether or not any particular food is good for your weight. In fact, there are several foods and beverages that are well-known for their ability to help you lose weight if consumed regularly, such as drinking coffee. Here are five ways in which drinking coffee can help you shed pounds, backed up by scientific research:
It can help you burn more calories.
Coffee is a source of caffeine, and research has shown that caffeine can boost your resting metabolism, meaning that your body burns calories more quickly throughout the day. One study found that participants who were given caffeine pills were able to increase their metabolism by about 3%. Although that may not sound like much, it means that someone who drinks three cups of coffee each day could potentially expect to burn an extra 59 calories per day, which could result in a weight loss of around five pounds per year. That’s not as much as you might expect, but every little helps when you’re trying to lose weight.
It can make you eat less overall.
Another way in which coffee may help you lose weight is by reducing the amount of food that you eat. Research has shown that, when consumed before a meal, caffeine can boost feelings of fullness, meaning that you can eat less at your next meal. It also seems that caffeine can reduce the amount of food that you enjoy, meaning that you may end up eating less of your meal once you get started. One study found that participants who took caffeine pills before eating a meal ate around 12% less food, while enjoying their food less, than participants who took a placebo. These findings suggest that if you drink coffee before a meal, you may end up eating less food and therefore consuming fewer calories overall. This could be one way in which coffee can help you lose weight.
It may help in weight loss because of caffeine’s effects on metabolism
Another way in which coffee may help you lose weight is by boosting your metabolism. Metabolism is the process by which the food that you eat is turned into energy, but it’s not a constant process. Instead, metabolism is like a fire that burns more brightly when you’re doing something demanding, like exercising or lifting heavy objects, and less intensely when you’re doing something less strenuous, like reading or sitting down. One study found that participants who were given caffeine pills could increase their metabolism by about 5%, meaning that they burned calories more quickly. This means that you could potentially burn more calories throughout the day, which could help you lose weight.
Coffee is low in calories but high in nutrition.
One of the many benefits of drinking coffee is that it tends to be low in calories, but high in important vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. One cup of coffee contains around 3 calories, which is pretty impressive, especially when you consider that the same cup also contains a range of vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins, magnesium, potassium, and manganese. This means that, while coffee is unlikely to help you lose weight in and of itself, it may be a helpful addition if you’re trying to lose weight and need something to replace your usual high-calorie drink, like a milkshake or smoothie.
You may find that coffee helps you stick to your diet plan.
Many people turn to coffee when they’re trying to lose weight because it seems like a harmless substitute for other, more calorie-laden drinks, like milkshakes or smoothies. However, this can be problematic, because it often results in people consuming more calories than they planned for, which can cause them to lose weight more slowly, or not lose weight at all. To avoid this problem, you may want to consider drinking black coffee, or drinking coffee with skim milk, which has fewer calories than whole milk. You can also try adding a diet sweetener to your coffee, which is likely to have fewer calories than regular sweeteners, like sugar. If you find that you’re making a conscious effort to drink coffee instead of a high-calorie drink, then you may find that you’re more likely to stick to your diet plan. This could be one way in which coffee can help you lose weight.
Conclusion
Coffee is a drink that is associated with many health benefits, and when it comes to weight loss, it is no different. There are several ways in which coffee can help you lose weight, including helping you burn more calories, making you eat less, boosting your metabolism, and being low in calories but high in nutrition. Indeed, coffee is a drink that is beneficial for both your health and your weight loss goals. If you’re worried about your weight, remember that there are many things that you can do to help yourself, including drinking coffee.
