What are the virtues of green coffee? An antioxidant, helps weight loss, the ideal detox drink ... Many benefits are conferred to this small bean.
Discover all its secrets through this article!
WHAT IS GREEN COFFEE?
Green coffee comes from coffee trees cultivated in the tropical regions of Africa, South America and Asia. This small green seed is found in the fruit of the coffee tree, the coffee cherry. It is only when extracted from the flesh of the cherry and roasted that it becomes black.
It is interesting to use green coffee seeds in phytotherapy because they are rich in caffeine, trigonelline, chlorogenic acid, cafestol... This makes them a good tonic and a physical and intellectual stimulant. They can be used for many reasons, the most famous of which are: weight loss and fighting fatigue.
Indeed, these small green seeds with multiple benefits and virtues, can stimulate lipolysis, reduce the absorption of carbohydrates and accelerate the intestinal transit. With a good diet, you can stay in shape!
To understand where all these virtues come from, we must go back to their origin.
ORIGIN AND CULTIVATION OF COFFEE TREES
The coffee tree is a tree that is generally cultivated for its coffee beans. There are different varieties of coffee trees, the most widespread being Coffea Arabica and Coffea Canephora.
This tree was discovered in the 10th century A.D. in Ethiopia where it grew wild.
It grows only in hot and humid areas, most often in the tropical regions of Africa and Asia where they grow in the shade in the undergrowth. It is only between 10°C and 35°C that they can develop.
The better the climatic conditions are for the cultivation of coffee trees, the better the seeds and their benefits.
It is during the Muslim conquest that the coffee trees were propagated in other countries such as Yemen, Syria or Egypt. They will be very quickly cultivated in the various European colonies until they spread today in the tropical regions of Africa, South America and Asia.
THE PARTICULARITY OF THE COFFEE TREE
The coffee tree is a tree that can reach 15 meters in height. To facilitate the harvest, they are pruned so as not to exceed 3m.
This tree can produce up to 30,000 flowers per year that will become fruit later called "coffee cherries" due to their shape and color.
The seeds are found inside the cherries. During the harvest, they are removed from their envelopes to be roasted. The virtues and therapeutic benefits of these green seeds are due to their chemical composition, so they are rich in :
- Caffeine
- Trigonelline (80% of which is lost during roasting)
- Chlorogenic acid (4 to 8 % in the natural seeds against 1 to 3 % in those roasted)
- Cafestol and kahweol (only present in unroasted coffee)
- Carbohydrates
- Fibers
- Protein
- Vitamin B3
THE BENEFITS OF GREEN COFFEE
As seen previously, the coffee bean has a rich chemical composition, which gives it a large number of virtues. The most famous are the benefits on weight loss as well as the toning effects of it.
You will have understood it, it will not have finished surprising you!
A NATURAL FAT BURNER
One of the main benefits of green coffee is weight loss. Indeed, green coffee has many active ingredients such as chlorogenic acid, which would have slimming properties and would delay cellular aging. This acid decreases the glycemia by limiting its intestinal absorption: that is to say that it limits the absorption of sugars by the intestines and thus makes it possible to decrease the blood glucose level.
Green coffee also acts as an appetite suppressant thanks to its diuretic properties and greatly improves the functioning of the kidneys and bladder.
It also has many benefits for the body, detoxifying it by draining toxins and cholesterol. In addition, it helps the body get rid of excess sugar and prevents the risk of type 2 diabetes.
To demonstrate the slimming effects of this one, a study was carried out initially in animals, then in Man.
For the animals, the small green seeds were mixed with their food over a certain period of time. The scientists quickly noticed a weight loss in some of them.
In humans, different effects have shown that green coffee allowed to obtain a significant weight loss. For example, a group of 30 people consumed 200 mg over 12 weeks. This resulted in a significant weight loss in the different individuals (an average loss of 5.4 kilograms).
To benefit from all these advantages and virtues, it is recommended to regularly consume 1 to 2 cups of coffee per day, especially if you wish to effectively accompany your weight loss diets.
A NATURAL TONIC
Coffee contains caffeine which is a good natural stimulant that acts on our nervous system. It is exactly the same for the green bean.
It is said to stimulate our intellectual capacities.
Studies show that this drink improves memory and develops mental and physical reflexes. Thus, people who consume caffeine will benefit from its virtues, will have better concentration capacities and will be less prone to feelings of fatigue.
Moreover, green coffee reduces the risk of developing memory loss and slows down the effects of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. It is also a very good antioxidant that eliminates oxygenated free radicals that are toxic for the body.
On the other hand, drinking coffee, whether green or roasted, is not recommended for pregnant women because caffeine increases the risk of health problems during pregnancy.
HOW TO CONSUME GREEN COFFEE?
With its vegetal notes and pronounced acidity, green coffee is not the most pleasant beverage to drink, yet it is so rich in benefits!
Here are different ways to consume it in order to take advantage of all its virtues.
First of all, don't use your grinder to grind the green coffee beans, as you risk breaking them. You will have to boil your grains beforehand to rid them of any bacteria and thus avoid food poisoning.
One method of consumption is the green coffee infusion. Here are some steps to follow to make it:
Put about ten green coffee beans in a saucepan
Add about 20 cl of cold water
Bring the water to a boil and let it boil for a few minutes.
Let it cool down and add a little ginger or lemon to improve the taste
All you have to do is taste it!
Another method is the decoction. Simply leave 10 seeds in a glass of water at the end of the day, then place the glass in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, you just have to remove the seeds to drink the decoction.
Rest assured, there are other ways to consume it. You can find it in the form of capsules or in the form of powder to be diluted in hot water. As for the virtues and benefits, they will remain unchanged!