Is Enzyme Coffee Good for Weight Loss? Debunking the Myths

Enzyme coffee has gained a lot of hype in the coffee world recently. It’s coffee that’s said to contain “fat-burning” enzymes. That said, it isn’t always easy to figure out which enzymes are in various brands of this coffee. 

Some say these are natural enzymes that are typically broken down in the roasting process. 

Others claim it’s a mixture of:

• Chromium
• Green tea leaf extract
• Green coffee bean extract
• Guarana
• Yerba mate

Whatever enzymes are actually in this coffee, many claim that drinking enzyme coffee for weight loss is a helpful solution. So is enzyme coffee good for weight loss?

There is no scientific evidence that shows enzyme coffee will help with weight loss in any significant way. Caffeine can help with weight loss to an extent. Drinking caffeine can raise your resting metabolic rate (RMR). But added enzymes won’t make more difference than a normal cup of coffee. 

So enzyme coffee isn’t going to be the weight loss solution you were hoping for. If you want to know exactly why you should keep reading to know more. This article will debunk all the myths and break down this coffee bit by bit to give you a complete answer. 

Key Takeaways

• It’s unlikely enzyme coffee will have an impact on weight loss. 
• The main difference is enzyme coffee costs more per serving than regular coffee.
• Regular coffee does have several proven health benefits.

Enzyme Coffee vs. Traditional Coffee – How Do They Compare?

The table below will give you a quick overview of how enzyme coffee compares to regular coffee. 

Feature	Enzyme Coffee	Traditional Coffee
Flavor	Added enzymes might provide a richer flavor	Lots of time-tested brewing, roasting, and flavor profiles
Price	$0.80 – $1 per cup	$0.25 – 0.50 per cup
Caffeine Content	225mg per cup	95mg per cup
Weight Loss Potential	Some minimal benefits	Some minimal benefits
Additional Health Benefits	May help with gut and digestive health	May have additional benefits above increased energy

The main differences between enzyme coffee and regular coffee come down to two things:

1. Price
2. Caffeine per cup

Aside from more caffeine content and possible digestive health benefits, you won’t benefit much from choosing enzyme coffee over traditional coffee. 

Some may claim that the enzymes used in enzyme coffee provide a richer flavor profile. After all, the enzymes in coffee beans contribute to the coffee’s aroma and flavor. That said, we have so many options for brewing and flavors of normal coffee. You can likely find a wider variety of flavor profiles and better options with normal coffee. 

At the end of the day, depending on the brand, you’re paying twice or more per cup of enzyme coffee. With the added price, you get a little over double the caffeine content. If you want more caffeine, you’re better off drinking a second cup of coffee. 

How Does the Enzyme Coffee Fermentation Process Work?

There isn’t much information about how companies that produce enzyme coffee ferment it. 

That said, we can anecdotally consider some things from knowledge about the fermentation of normal coffee beans. Fermentation occurs before roasting coffee beans. It involves developing and facilitating probiotics and enzymes naturally in the beans. 

Once the coffee is roasted, those enzymes are eliminated for the most part. But they do contribute to the flavor of your coffee. Richer enzymes provide a richer flavor. 

Companies producing enzyme coffee claim they have an advanced fermentation system. That system is said to prevent enzymes from being eliminated from coffee beans when they are roasted. But there isn’t any concrete research that this is true. 

The evidence we can say may be true is related to flavor. Adding more enzymes to coffee may contribute to a fuller flavor profile. So it could make your regular black cup of coffee taste a bit better. 

Enzyme Coffee and Weight Loss – What is the Science Behind the Claims?

As mentioned earlier, there isn’t significant research on enzyme coffee for weight loss. But there is some research on individual enzymes that are in enzyme coffee. 

Science of Enzymes in Enzyme Coffee

This section will go over the main enzymes in enzyme coffee that have some scientific evidence for weight loss. Those are:

• Chromium
• Amylase
• Protease 
• Lipase

By the end, you’ll know how much they might or might not help your weight loss goals. 

Chromium

The main enzyme that is added to enzyme coffee is chromium. It is also the one that has the most promising research about its weight loss benefits. 

There was one eight-week study on chromium supplementation in obese women. The study found it reduced cravings, hunger, and food intake by 25%. Those are pretty promising results. However, we don’t have much other significant research on chromium to prove these benefits. So more evidence is needed to conclusively prove this is true. 

Amylase

Amylase is another promising enzyme. It’s found in green coffee bean extract, which is commonly added to enzyme coffee. 

Green coffee bean extract has had several studies on it surrounding weight loss. But most research finds that it’s just the extra caffeine content that contributes most to weight loss. There is no specific benefit to green coffee beans themselves that boost weight loss potential. 

So you can get added weight loss benefits by simply increasing your caffeine intake. You don’t really need enzyme coffee to do that. 

Protease and Lipase

Protease and lipase are connected because they are actually found in traditional coffee beans. However, they are likely burned off for the most part in the actual roasting process. Since the fermentation process of enzyme coffee is said to prevent them from degrading during roasting, it could lead to additional benefits. 

Studies have found some positive results with both these enzymes for weight loss. One study found overweight mice that consume protease lost an average of 15% more weight than mice that didn’t. 

Another study showed that overweight mice that consume lipase lost an average of 18% more weight. 

That said, these studies have only been done on mice. There is no evidence these results can be replicated in humans. 

Research on Caffeine and Weight Loss

It’s also important to mention the research on caffeine content and weight loss. Caffeine is scientifically proven to raise resting metabolic rate (RMR). When you have a higher RMR, you burn more calories in a day. 

One study found that consuming 100mg of caffeine (around what you get in a cup of coffee) boosted RMR by 8-11%. Another study found that consuming caffeine boosts RMR by 3-11%. These are pretty significant results for weight loss benefits. 

Since enzyme coffee has more caffeine per cup, you could say that it has more weight loss potential. More caffeine intake is correlated in many studies with increased metabolic rate. That said, it is just as easy to drink a second cup of coffee rather than pay more for enzyme coffee.

What are the Side Effects of Drinking Enzyme Coffee for Weight Loss?

If you decide to try enzyme coffee, it is generally safe. The enzymes in it are natural, and studies show they are safe to consume. However, you should note that the added caffeine per cup can affect some people who are sensitive to caffeine. The best practice is to moderate your intake to see how you respond to it. 

Some potential side effects of enzyme coffee are:

• Jitters, restlessness, or nervousness (from high caffeine content). 
• Insomnia, usually caused by drinking it too late in the day. 
• Stomach pain or diarrhea. 
• Headaches. 

If you moderate your intake and don’t take drink too much, most people won’t have these side effects. 

How Would You Incorporate Enzyme Coffee in a Weight Loss Diet?

While there isn’t much evidence that enzyme coffee will help with weight loss, some may still want to try it. If you want to try enzyme coffee for weight loss, the best practice would be drinking it right in the morning, like a normal cup of coffee. It’ll give you that extra boost in RMR before you start your day. 

Since enzyme coffee is high in caffeine, you will want to limit how much you drink. The FDA recommends a maximum of 400mg of caffeine per day. Enzyme coffee contains 225mg per cup. Limiting your intake to a maximum of 1.5 cups of enzyme coffee (around 12 fluid ounces) is a good idea. 

Does Enzyme Coffee Have Any Other Health Benefits?

There are also a few other benefits that enzyme coffee may have. Those benefits are:

• Antioxidant benefits
• Regulation of blood sugar levels
• Anti-inflammatory effects

Several studies have found that regular coffee has many antioxidant properties. It’s no different with enzyme coffee. Drinking it can have positive effects on the immune system, cholesterol levels, and even reducing inflammation. 

That said, we don’t have any research on if enzyme coffee provides more antioxidant properties than a regular cup of coffee. But at the very least, whether you choose regular or enzyme coffee, you’ll get some beneficial antioxidants. 

Some studies have also found that coffee can positively impact blood sugar levels. It may even be able to decrease the chances of developing diabetes. While early studies are promising, we still need more research on this. 

The same effects on blood sugar can likely be said for enzyme coffee as well. However, we don’t know if it performs any differently than regular coffee. So likely, going with a regular cup of coffee is just as good. 

Conclusion

Overall, enzyme coffee isn’t going to be the weight loss solution many would hope to get. The best way to lose weight still remains eating fewer calories than you burn and getting more active. Drinking coffee can help, but it won’t be a miracle solution to lose a ton of weight. 

If you’re debating between enzyme and regular coffee for weight loss, you’re likely just as well off with a normal cup of coffee. Enzyme coffee is more expensive to get a similar level of benefit. 

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