There are conflicting stories concerning the effects of caffeine on weight loss. In the past, many of the weight loss programs attempted to convince their participants that drinks with caffeine would not only stimulate the appetite but cause water retention as well. Imagine trying to tell people who have been drinking coffee since long before there was any such thing as decaffeinated coffee that they are not longer able to have it – NOT!
Eliminating caffeine from the diet is one of the hardest things that a caffeine lover accomplishes; after all, it is a drug of sorts in that one is able to become addicted to its effects. Though some people do not suffer the effects of water retention, the majority of people will admit to caffeine being an appetite suppressant, allowing them to substitute large amounts of caffeine-rich drinks in place of food.
All of this information is apparently old news now. The Mayo Clinic is now saying that people who consume the equivalent of six cups of coffee per day, exercise, and maintain low-fat diets may actually find the coffee consumption will enhance their weight loss efforts. Of course, there is no indication that this is a long-lasting effect or that caffeine consumption alone will produce the same results. It remains to be seen just what the long-range affects of consuming large amounts of caffeine during the course of a weight loss program.
Another weight loss program combines caffeine and Ephedrine. The way it works is through a process known as thermo genesis. The combination of the two chemicals work because energy expenditure increases while the appetite decreases, meaning the body is burning more calories than it is consuming, allowing it to work as a fat-burner. According to a research study, the combination of caffeine/Ephedrine produced a weight loss of 36 pounds in a 24 week period compared to only 29 pounds in a placebo group. There was no significant benefit noted in the participants who were given caffeine or Ephedrine alone. The results in this study indicate that the benefit is derived from the combination of both the caffeine and Ephedrine, but other studies have indicated that Ephedrine alone also assists in weight loss. Perhaps this difference is indicative of the difference in metabolism of individual participants as well as differences in the way they eat and conduct their everyday lives.
Because the studies that have been conducted are varied, it is important to remember that different people react differently to the same or similar stimuli. As with any weight loss program, no two people are going to lose the same amount of weight due to differences in the speed of their metabolism. For this reason it is ludicrous to expect that any two participants are going to see the exact same results. Metabolic speed can be affected by many factors including exercise, heredity, and consumption of foods that are known to speed the metabolism. No amount of caffeine or caffeine/Ephedrine combination is going to speed weight loss unless exercise and fat-burning food combinations become a part of your healthy eating plan.