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The Basics of Chlorogenic Acid
DJAB • May 12, 2021
Chlorogenic Acids: What Are They?
Chlorogenic acid is a natural compound found in coffee beans that reduces the risk of diseases such as diabetes and cancer. It can also stimulate weight loss, reduce blood pressure, and improve mood.
Chlorogenic acid is most commonly supplemented in the form of green coffee extract.
Chlorogenic Acids are the main antioxidant linked to coffee’s powerful health benefits. Technically speaking, Chlorogenic Acid is the ester of caffeic acid and quinic acid. In its plural form, Chlorogenic Acids, refers to a related family of esters including hydroxycinnamic acids and quinic acid. Chlorogenic Acids are responsible for making your coffee taste more or less acidic, and as an antioxidant, Chlorogenic Acids fall into the broader category of polyphenol.
Antioxidants are critical to health because they inhibit the oxidation caused by free radicals in our bodies. Although we need oxygen to live, as part of free radical compounds, oxygen can actually damage our cells and the genetic material inside them, which can ultimately lead to cancer, high blood pressure, and systemic inflammation. That’s why we want more antioxidants like Chlorogenic Acids in our diet – to combat this process!
Chlorogenic Acids are found in a variety of fruits and vegetables like apples, pears, carrots, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes, but it's most abundant in beverages like tea and coffee!
Green Coffee & Chlorogenic Acids (CGAs)
Believe it or not, before your coffee beans were roasted, they once were raw seeds, more like a green colored cranberry than the brown nut-like bean you are familiar with. That raw bean is green coffee.
Green coffee has a higher amount of Chlorogenic Acids than roasted coffee beans because the roasting process breaks down the chlorogenic acid.
So why not just drink green coffee? The roasting process is what gives coffee its amazing aroma and flavor you know and love, and because of that, green coffee has a very different taste. In fact, it's so different that green coffee is usually sold as an extract or in capsule form, instead of by the mug full.
Chlorogenic acid may also work by:
- Inhibiting 11-βHSD1, an enzyme involved in making hormones that raises blood pressure
- Activating the GABAa receptor by binding to the benzodiazepine site, resulting in reduced levels of anxiety
- Increasing Glucagon-like peptide 1, a hormone that increases blood insulin levels and lowers glucose.
- Activating Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor alpha (PPAR-alpha), leading to increased heat production and body fat loss.
- Lowering body fat content by reducing levels of triglycerides, LDL–cholesterol, and VLDL
- Preventing the absorption of fats, the production of fats (inhibition of fatty acid synthase), and increasing beta-oxidation, leading to the breakdown of fats.
- Inhibiting HMG-CoA, the enzyme responsible for the production of cholesterol and the main target of statin drugs
- Improving the survival of dopaminergic neurons through the inhibition of microglial activation
- Inhibiting acetylcholinesterase, resulting in improved cognition and memory
Chlorogenic Acid (CGA) Benefits
Chlorogenic acids, particularly in coffee, pack a list of impressive health and wellness benefits:
Disease Prevention:
By combatting free radicals the oxidation process, Chlorogenic Acid's may help prevent cancer, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.
Anti-Inflammatory:
Chlorogenic Acid's can help lower inflammation and over the long-term, may prevent chronic disease.
Weight Loss:
Chlorogenic Acid's can regulate glucose levels, which can be helpful to weight loss and maintenance while reducing your risk of diabetes.
Lower Blood Pressure:
It has been shown that Chlorogenic Acids lower blood pressure significantly during the ingestion period.
Chlorogenic Acid May Improve Mood:
Decaffeinated coffee enriched with chlorogenic acid may improve mood and attention.
Chlorogenic Acid Is Antimicrobial:
Chlorogenic acid may prevent the harmful effects of the bacteria and reduce bacterial numbers.
Chlorogenic Acid May Reduce Cancer Growth:
Chlorogenic acid may also reduce the growth of human cancer cells by inhibiting the pathways involved in tumor progression (AP-1, NF-kappaB, MAPK).
Chlorogenic Acid Has Neuroprotective Effects:
Chlorogenic acid can improve brain function and neurodegenerative disorders.
May Protect Against Heart Disease and Atherosclerosis:
Importantly, our overall lifestyle can either positively or negatively affect the risk factors involved in developing the disease.
How to Maximize Your Intake
The amount of Chlorogenic Acids in most plants is trivial. Foods like apples, pears, carrots, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and eggplant have more Chlorogenic Acids than most plants. But coffee, tea, blueberries, and sunflower seeds, contain enough Chlorogenic Acids to have a discernable physiological impact.
Because the roasting process plays such a paramount roll in coffee's Chlorogenic Acid levels, it's important to choose high-quality coffee beans that have been specifically roasted to ensure Chlorogenic Acid's preservation. A good starting place is to look for lighter roasts and organically-sourced beans.
As can be seen, it appears that chlorogenic acid may slightly assist in weight loss efforts, but the potential effects shouldn’t be exaggerated.
For optimal weight loss and overall health, diet and lifestyle always come first.
How Much Chlorogenic Acid is in Coffee?
The amount of chlorogenic acid in coffee significantly varies depending on the roasting time.
For example, 104 samples of espresso coffee from cafes in Scotland, Italy, and Spain found that the chlorogenic acid content varied from 6 mg to 188 mg per serving (3).
With such a substantial variation, here’s a breakdown of the chlorogenic acid content in espresso by country;
- Italy: 20 – 81 mg
- Scotland: 6 – 157 mg
- Spain: 92 – 188 mg
This shows that Spanish coffee contains far higher amounts of chlorogenic acid than Italian coffee.
Significantly, this is because Spanish coffee shops tend to utilize lightly roasted coffee beans. On the other hand, Italians enjoy longer dark roasts of coffee.
For higher concentrations of chlorogenic acid, we should opt for lighter coffee roasts, since the compound breaks down during the roasting process.
In other words; green coffee beans are the most concentrated, followed by light roast, medium roast, and lastly dark roast coffee.
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Many people rely on quick, processed foods for meals and snacks. Since these products often contain added sugar, it makes up a large proportion of their daily calorie intake.
In the US, added sugars account for up to 17% of the total calorie intake of adults and up to 14% for children.
Dietary guidelines suggest limiting calories from added sugar to less than 10% per day.
It is believed that sugar consumption is a major cause of obesity and many chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes.
Here are some reasons why eating too much sugar is bad for your health.
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