Green Coffee – What It Is It, How Does It Taste, and Why You Should Try It Out

As an avid coffee drinker, I’m familiar with tons of coffee varieties. However, one fairly new type of coffee making waves right now is one that I’ve never heard of before: green coffee.

This has me really intrigued, as the coffee I grew up to know and love was never green. So, what is green coffee?

Well, it’s an extract from a coffee bean that hasn’t been roasted. It doesn’t taste like the regular coffee most of us drink daily, but it could offer a range of health benefits and even aid with weight loss.

And in this article, we’ll take a close look at green coffee, explain how it tastes, and go through the reasons people are using it as a weight loss supplement.

Read on to learn more.

What Is Green Coffee?

Green coffee beans are basically all coffee beans before they are roasted. You can find coffee beans inside a coffee “cherry” that’s usually red or yellow. However, most of the time, coffee manufacturers harvest the beans and then ferment and roast them, giving them that dark color and deep flavor.

That said, you can also make green coffee extract out of the beans. You can then turn that extract into a drink that is very different from regular coffee. Currently, this coffee extract is being marketed as a weight loss supplement to help people on a journey to achieving their health goals.

The Swiss Water Company also uses green coffee extract when making decaffeinated coffee beans, so it’s actually a very useful extract that has tons of applications.

What Does Green Coffee Taste Like?

While green coffee comes from the same bean as regular coffee, their flavors couldn’t be more different. The reason for this is that the roasting and fermentation process of coffee beans is what gives it the trademark flavor we all know and love.

Since green coffee isn’t roasted, it has a much lighter flavor. Some people compare the taste to something similar to green tea, though that isn’t too accurate. It definitely has a “grassy” flavor and you will have more acidic tastes as well compared to regular coffee.

Additionally, when you make the drink, don’t expect a dark color. The beans aren’t roasted, so the final drink produces a lighter amber color, which can sometimes have shades of green.

However, the reason people are drinking green coffee isn’t because of the taste. While some people grow to like the taste, most people drink it to aid with weight loss. There are many chemical differences between green and roasted coffee, which is why the green variety works for losing weight.

What Are the Side Effects of Green Coffee?

Before we address the benefits of drinking green coffee, let’s take a look at the side effects. The first of which comes from caffeine, which is something that you can find in both green and regular coffee.

While you might think that green coffee has no caffeine, that isn’t correct. The roasting process actually eliminates a small amount of caffeine from the bean, so green coffee may actually have a bit more caffeine than regular coffee.

Some of the green coffee capsules on the market can contain between 20mg-40mg of caffeine, which is much less than the average amount of caffeine in an 8-ounce cup of coffee (100mg). However, if your body doesn’t react well to caffeine, it’s best to keep the dosage down or get a decaffeinated option to avoid some of the negative effects of caffeine.

Another potential side effect of green coffee is calcium depletion, as mice that were given green coffee extract over two months experienced a depletion in calcium levels. However, there hasn’t been any human research on the concept.

Aside from that, green coffee isn’t known to have any other negative side effects. So, now that that’s out of the way, let’s take a look at the reasons you might want to start drinking green coffee.

What Are the Benefits of Green Coffee?

The main benefit of green coffee being marketed right now is that it’s good for weight loss. However, there have been no conclusive studies to determine whether or not you can use green coffee for weight loss. There are many people that claim it worked for them, while others claim that it didn’t.

So as of now, the jury is still out on that. However, there are also some less-controversial benefits of green coffee you might want to know about. And we’ll go through them in the section below.

Blood Pressure

There have been a few studies performed that show that green coffee extract can potentially lower a person’s blood pressure if the person is struggling with hypertension. There’s also evidence that green coffee can improve blood vessel function

Blood Sugar

Those that suffer from diabetes and issues with their blood sugar levels may benefit from green coffee. There are studies that show green coffee strengthens insulin sensitivity, which is a major contributing factor to diabetes.

Cholesterol

Another potential benefit of green coffee is lowering cholesterol levels. There’s been great promise in meta-analyses of green coffee’s ability to treat cholesterol levels, which is another reason that you may want to start drinking green coffee yourself.

What Makes Green Coffee Different?

Green coffee and your regular coffee are two completely different things. They go through various processes before entering the market and are made for different reasons.

Roasted coffee is made for people who enjoy coffee. It gives you a boost of energy through caffeine and also offers a bold and strong flavor. There are tons of ways to enjoy this drink and the roasted beans can even be incorporated into desserts!

Green coffee, on the other hand, doesn’t get roasted. This means that the coffee extract from the beans won’t have that bold and strong flavor. Additionally, it has a different chemical composition which is why it can provide a range of benefits that regular coffee can’t.

While primarily marketed as a weight loss supplement, there are many benefits to drinking green coffee. So, if you’re looking for a healthy supplement to add to your regular diet, you might want to consider giving green coffee a try.

Is Green Coffee Effective for Weight Loss?

The effectiveness of green coffee for weight loss is largely up for debate. There are tons of people who swear green coffee was what helped them lose weight and hit their health goals. However, there are many health professionals that refute the statement.

At this point, we don’t have enough evidence on whether or not green coffee works for weight loss. There has been a study conducted on mice that found that green coffee extract reduced body fat significantly, but subsequent human trials proved to be inconclusive.

There have been some human tests that showed some promise. However, critics pointed out that the studies were poorly-designed and didn’t have a large enough sample size to be conclusive.

Before we can conclusively say that green coffee is good and effective for weight loss, there need to be more human studies.

How to Consume Green Coffee

There are a few ways to consume green coffee. The most popular way is as a warm drink that’s closer to herbal and green tea than a traditional cup of joe.

A lot of green coffee comes in powder form. So, you can mix in the appropriate amount of powder (the package should have the ideal dosage) into warm water, mix it, then let it stand for 5-6 minutes.

Another way to consume green coffee is through capsules. Different brands put their own dosages in the capsule, so always read the packaging for your ideal dosage.

Ideally, you should be drinking or consuming green coffee before your meals if you want to reap the potential weight loss benefits. The amount of time it takes before seeing results can vary, but most people report that they started seeing the difference after a month or two.

How to Make Green Coffee

If you have green coffee beans, making a drink isn’t that different than with roasted beans. You have to grind the beans first, which you can do with a home coffee grinder or by buying pre-ground green coffee beans.

From there, you have to pour hot (but not boiling) water on the beans, let them steep for 5-6 minutes, then strain the drink. 

If you don’t want to grind the beans, you can soak them in a pot of water overnight. Then, you can boil the water and simmer it for 15 minutes the next day. After that, you can strain out the beans and store the entire batch in the refrigerator for a few days.

If you want the best-tasting green coffee, it’s important to get high-quality beans. Since these beans aren’t roasted, it’s even more crucial that the beans are of the best quality possible.

Read also: How to Make Green Coffee

FAQs

Does Green Coffee Have Caffeine?

Yes, green coffee may actually have a bit more caffeine than regular roasted beans. However, the difference is very small and basically negligible.

Can I Drink Green Coffee at Night?

While you can drink green coffee at night, you may lose some sleep as these beans have a fair amount of caffeine. If you don’t want to stay up, we recommend getting decaffeinated green coffee beans.

When Should I Drink Green Coffee for Weight Loss?

If you’re looking to drink green coffee for weight loss, we recommend drinking one 8-ounce cup before every meal for 1-2 months.

Is It Okay to Drink Green Coffee Every Day?

Yes, green coffee is generally safe to drink every day. However, if you are sensitive to caffeine, you may want to keep your dosage down to avoid the negative effects of caffeine.

Is Green Coffee Good for the Kidneys?

It’s thought that the chlorogenic acid from green coffee beans can potentially protect the kidneys. This is through the many antioxidants in the coffee, however, keep in mind that more research will need to be done.

Which Is Better Black or Green Coffee?

This depends. If you’re looking for a bold and strong flavor, it’s best to go for black coffee. But if you want a milder flavor and a different set of health benefits, green coffee might be the option for you.

Is Green Coffee Good for the Skin?

Green coffee contains a lot of antioxidants, so it could improve your skin. However, this still needs to be paired with a healthy diet, lifestyle, and a proper skincare routine.

Is Green Tea Better than Green Coffee?

Both of these drinks have really low-calorie counts and are low in cholesterol. While the health benefits of either drink are still being debated, they are both great options for people in need of a nice warm drink. So, it all boils down to your personal preference.

Conclusion

Green coffee isn’t like your typical coffee bean. These beans are natural, which means they aren’t roasted. This is why they retain the same green color they have upon harvest.

But the color isn’t the only difference. This coffee drink has a milder and grassy flavor that many people enjoy. On top of that, there have been some studies that show that it could potentially offer a lot of benefits.

That said, keep in mind that green coffee has caffeine. And if you’re looking to switch to this option but are sensitive to caffeine, make sure you get decaffeinated beans.

Green coffee is mostly marketed as a weight loss supplement. However, the research on whether it actually works is inconclusive.

And that’s all you need to know about these beans. So, if you’re looking for something new to add to your kitchen that could be very healthy for you, green coffee could be just what you need!