| Green coffee beans have supplied a new player in the | | | | which could help with muscle fatigue for athletes and |
| antioxidant arena. An extract of green coffee beans | | | | bodybuilders.Interestingly, on the subject of caffeine |
| has been found to have a stronger antioxidant effect | | | | and liver disease, further studies have indicated it may |
| than established antioxidants like green tea and grape | | | | in fact support liver health for some people. Those |
| seed extract.The active constituent in coffee that is | | | | who were at high risk of developing liver disease due |
| responsible for its many health benefits is a compound | | | | to drinking too much alcohol were found less likely to |
| called chlorogenic acid. It neutralizes free radicals, and | | | | suffer liver damage if they drank more than two cups |
| addresses the problem of hydroxyl radicals, both of | | | | of coffee or tea a day. This was a population based |
| which can lead to cellular degeneration if left | | | | study, not a clinical trial, and so is not conclusive on the |
| unchecked. Chlorogenic acid also helps regulate | | | | subject. But it does offer some promising information. |
| metabolism. Compared to green tea and grape seed | | | | Those drinking in excess of two cups or more a day |
| extract, green coffee bean extract is twice as | | | | were half as likely to develop liver disease compared |
| effective in absorbing oxygen free radicals.One of the | | | | to those drinking less than one cup a day. |
| advantages of using the green coffee bean extract is | | | | Researchers do not know what caused this protective |
| that the negative effects of coffee are avoided. The | | | | effect.One of the criticisms of coffee in regards to |
| chlorogenic acid is thought to boost metabolism by | | | | health is that it leaches calcium from the bones. But this |
| changing the way glucose is taken up by the body. | | | | effect has been found to be overemphasized, at least |
| And it does contain caffeic acids, which give a boost | | | | in children. And adults who consume a diet with |
| to energy levels like regular coffee does. But unlike | | | | sufficient levels of calcium will be protected from the |
| boiled coffee, green coffee bean extract contains no | | | | small amount of calcium that is lost due to coffee |
| cafestol, which is a diterpene. Along with its diterpene | | | | consumption.So the old axiom that caffeine can stunt |
| relative kahweol, cafestol increases concentrations of | | | | a child's growth is a myth. It was based on the fact |
| the 'bad' cholesterol, LDL, to levels that over a lifetime | | | | that in older studies, caffeine was associated with low |
| might increase the risk of coronary heart disease by | | | | bone mass because those studies were done on |
| as much as 20% These diterpenes also had an effect | | | | elderly people who both drank a lot of coffee and had |
| on the levels of liver enzymes measured. When these | | | | diets that were low in calcium. Recent studies in the |
| are elevated it is an indicator of stress on the liver. | | | | US followed 80 teenagers over 6 years, and found no |
| However the study that measured this found this was | | | | difference in the bone density of those with a high |
| a transient effect, and also that the levels of liver | | | | level of caffeine in their diet, compared to those |
| enzymes were much lower than those with liver | | | | teenagers who had little caffeine. Other studies |
| disease.As a side note on the health effect of the | | | | determined that the amount of calcium lost from |
| diterpenes found in regular coffee, it was found that by | | | | bones is small and can be balanced by having |
| simply drinking filter coffee, none of these effects on | | | | sufficient calcium in your diet.References: Australian |
| cholesterol levels or the liver took place. The coffee | | | | Healthy Food Magazine, January. |
| filter removed the offending diterpenes. And levels of | | | | |
| these diterpenes in instant coffee are low.Other | | | | the answers to health questions you hadn't even |
| benefits of green coffee bean extract include an | | | | thought of asking! If you want more vitamin facts and |
| increase in the effectiveness of pain killers, especially | | | | supplement information on echinacea, vitamin C, ginkgo |
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| proportion of lipids (fats) compared to carbohydrates, | | | | |