Q & A: Using Green Coffee Beans to Lose Weight?

Green, unroasted coffee beans.

Q.            My mother told me that she saw a TV medical show that was talking about using a special green coffee bean extract to lose weight. Is that anything you’ve heard of? I’m rather skeptical of the idea, but is there any merit in trying it? M.L. Wyoming, Michigan

A.            There is scant information available for people to use to decide yes or no on this type of product. The one study that was done had very few participants (less than 20); the study truly should be repeated with a larger group to see if there is validity to the weight loss claims (it’s bad science to make recommendations or change your life habits based on one study).

            So in the meantime, what can you do? If you do decide to try this up-and-coming fad (yes, it’s looking like a fad to me), be aware that you will be conducting an experiment on yourself. Is it worth the 30 or so dollars a month to see if it will work?

            If you’d like to read a more detailed analysis of why this new diet plan may not be the best, check out the article at the Science-Based Medicine blog.