Coffee could prevent weight gain

A chemical compound commonly found in coffee may help prevent weight gain and also fight some obesity-related diseases, finds new research.

The compound called chlorogenic acid, or CGA, significantly reduced insulin resistance and accumulation of fat in the livers of mice who were fed a high-fat diet, the findings showed.

"CGA is a powerful antioxidant that reduces inflammation,” said study lead author Yongjie Ma from UGA. Aside from weight gain, two common side effects of obesity are increased insulin resistance and the accumulation of fat in the liver. 

Researchers fed a group of mice a high-fat diet for 15 weeks while also injecting them with a CGA solution twice per week. They found that CGA was not only effective in preventing weight gain, but it also helped maintain normal blood sugar levels and healthy liver composition.

The mice in this study received a high dose of CGA, much higher than what a human would absorb through regular coffee consumption or a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.

The mice in this study received a high dose of CGA, much higher than what a human would absorb through regular coffee consumption or a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. "We are not suggesting that people start drinking a lot of coffee to protect themselves from an unhealthy lifestyle," Ma stressed.

"But we do think that we might be able to create a useful therapeutic using CGA that will help those at risk for obesity-related disease as they make positive lifestyle changes." The study appeared in the journal Pharmaceutical Research.