Lately, many people have been posting success stories of them losing weight using a combination of black coffee and exercise, bringing black coffee into the limelight of weight loss diets. However, too much coffee is also not good. Here are 10 things to keep in mind when drinking black coffee from nutritionist Gordon Cheung!

1. Does black coffee really have 0 calories?

According to Gordon, not entirely. While making the coffee, tiny amounts of carbohydrates and fats will be released. A cup of black coffee without sugar and milk has about 2 calories, so we generalized it (and anything below 4 calories) as "zero calories".

2. Which components of black coffee help with weight loss?

Increased Metabolism: The caffeine in coffee excites the sympathetic nervous system, which results in a faster heartbeat and higher blood pressure, causing increased metabolism. Other effects include diuretic effects, preventing edema, and improved fluids metabolism.

Reduced Glucose Absorption: Coffee contains chlorogenic acid, which is a type of anti-oxidant. This reduces the amount of glucose being absorbed and entering the bloodstream.

Protected Liver: Chlorogenic acid can also protect the liver and reduce the chances of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. At the same time, it is a PPAR agonist that helps reduce body fat and prevents obesity and fatty liver disease.

3. Which coffee has the best weight loss effect?

Gordon says that the higher the caffeine content, the greater the weight loss effect, but our body should not take in more than 300mg of caffeine a day. Therefore, 1 specialty coffee a day should be good enough. Take not that "specialty coffee" refers to coffee that has been given a rating of more than 80 by the Specialty Coffee Association.

Why specialty coffee? Specialty coffee beans have richer chlorogenic acid content. However, these beans usually have a lower heat tolerance and loses a lot of its chlorogenic acid during the roasting process. That said, lightly roasted coffee beans will have better weight loss properties compared to their more roasted counterparts.

4. How much coffee can I drink in a day?

As mentioned previously, a person's daily intake of caffeine shouldn't exceed 300mg, therefore 1 - 2 cups of coffee a day is more than enough.

5. What are the negative effects of having too much coffee?

Besides the obvious insomnia for most people, drinking too much black coffee might cause anemia, lack of iron, and lack of calcium, possibly resulting in osteoporosis. Besides that, since coffee increases metabolism by increasing gastrointestinal motility, too much coffee will cause excess stomach acid, diarrhea, and gastric.

6. Are men more suitable to drink coffee than women?

Research has been done on the correlation between caffeine and gender specific genes. Gordon points out that said research concluded women to be more sensitive to caffeine. This means that ladies have a higher chance of having increased heartbeat and shaking hands after drinking coffee.

7. When is the best time to drink coffee before exercising?

The body takes 15-45 minutes after drinking to digest the coffee, while its effects take anywhere from 30-75 minutes to show. As such, the suggested time to take coffee is 1 hour before any exercise. This will help improve your tenacity and burn more calories.

8. How to drink coffee without losing sleep?

According to Gordon, caffeine lingers in the human body for up to 6 hours. So, if coffee makes you lose sleep, then he suggests not taking any within 6 hours of your bedtime.

9. Does black coffee cause cancer?

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reclassified coffee from Group 2B (possibly carcinogenic) to Group 3 (not classifiable as to carcinogenicity). The former classification was due to the release of acrylamide (a carcinogen) during the roasting process, but its amount was far lower than those of other carbohydrates such as chips.

Gordon still suggests picking lightly roasted specialty coffee as it contains the highest amount of chlorogenic acid. Besides that, try to avoid drinking coffee (or any hot drinks) at more than 65 degrees centigrade as it increases the chances of cancer. Therefore, any coffee that is not too hot to the touch should not be a cause for concern.

10. Who should not drink black coffee?

Many people believe that pregnant women cannot drink black coffee. However, Gordon says that pregnant women CAN drink coffee provided they do not exceed the typical daily caffeine limit of 300mg. On the other hand, those with heart problems, gastric and intestinal problems, and insomniacs should try to avoid any coffee at all.

There you have it, coffee tips from nutritionist Gordon Cheung. Remember to keep this things in mind the next time you get your daily dose of coffee!