Billions of people around the world drink black coffee believing it contributes to weight loss because it is free of sugar as well as saturated-fat creamers. However, is there any merit to such claims and assumptions? “Some studies have shown that drinking coffee with caffeine may slightly increase weight loss or in actuality prevent weight gain by suppressing the appetite or the desire to eat,” says Kathy Taylor, a registered dietitian.

“It may also help with calorie burning by stimulating thermogenesis–our body’s way of generating heat from metabolizing food. Ultimately caffeine acts like a diuretic causing us to have water loss so there is a temporary decrease in body weight,” she goes on to add.

Dr. Danine Fruge also studied the effects of drinking black coffee on weight loss and concluded, “Coffee is not a food substitute. It will only fool your brain for so long. You still need to eat.”

Continue reading to find out more about how black coffee works and whether it can help with weight loss.

Function of black coffee

Black coffee is a rich source of caffeine, which is dispersed throughout your body through your bloodstream. This caffeine stimulates your central nervous system, which gives you increased mental alertness and prevents you from feeling fatigued. It also affects your metabolism rate and stimulates thermogenesis, helping your body burn calories quickly. All these factors effectively contribute towards weight loss.

Increased Metabolism

For maximum weight-loss results, it is recommended you drink moderate amounts of black coffee on an empty stomach. It increases your metabolism and aids the burning of extra flab by pulling fatty acids out of the fat cells. For optimal results, nutritionists recommend to avoid consuming carbohydrates a couple of hours before and after drinking black coffee, since the insulin produced in your body may overcome the burning effects of caffeine, an active ingredient of black coffee.

Helps with Your Workout

The caffeine content in black coffee is a powerful anti-oxidant, which is essential for your muscle recovery after work out as well as for your overall immune system. Moreover, intake of coffee before work out mobilizes free fatty acids in your body, which are then oxidised during exercise. It is also believed to provide you mental alertness and greater focus.

Other weight loss benefits

Coffee is an anorectic and temporarily saps your desire to eat by suppressing your appetite. This can be beneficial for obese people who are struggling to get rid of overeating or emotional eating disorders.