The Coffee Loophole Diet is perhaps one of the most eccentric TikTok trends to emerge recently. Not sure what the Coffee Loophole Diet is? In short, social media users claim that drinking a coffee with additives within seven seconds of feeling hungry helps curb your appetite, making you feel full when you're not. Ultimately, proponents say, it can help you lose weight.
ContentWhat is the Coffee Loophole Diet? Benefits of the Coffee Loophole DietRisks of the Coffee Loophole DietWhat is the Coffee Loophole Diet: Does it Work?
A daily cup of coffee can be beneficial for many reasons, like giving you an extra boost of energy before work and even helping you build muscle, says registered dietitian Kristi Brissett. But it probably shouldn't be the mainstay of your weight-loss strategy. This is what WomanEL wants to warn you about.
What is the Coffee Loophole Diet?
There are various versions of this diet circulating online. In general, it involves adding certain ingredients to your coffee that supposedly boost your metabolism—ideally, within seven seconds of feeling hungry (yes, seriously). Social media claims that adding extra ingredients to your coffee can help you curb your hunger and lose weight.
Your mug may include a cocktail of:
- Chromium, green tea extract, and capsaicin.
- Lemon, honey, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon.
- Or a combination of these ingredients.
It’s unclear where this trend came from, but plenty of people on TikTok are saying it helps “get rid of stubborn belly fat” — presumably because the ingredients listed above are thought to boost metabolism. The research on this is inconclusive.
Some TikTok users even claim that dieting is “better and much easier than going to the gym.” However, again, there is no evidence that these coffee blends work, or that you should start drinking coffee within seven seconds of feeling hungry.
Benefits of the Coffee Loophole Diet
According to the Harvard School of Public Health named after T.H. Chana, drinking four cups of coffee a day can reduce body fat by four percent. But the results are not significant enough to determine a real benefit. According to Kunal Shah, MD, black coffee is also associated with weight loss. But this is not a very significant impact.
The caffeine in coffee suppresses appetite, so the Coffee Loophole diet may help curb appetite to some extent, says Dr. Shah. Other supplements and spices used in the diet, such as chromium, green tea, and cinnamon, have also been linked to small weight loss. But there's no conclusive evidence that these ingredients have a significant impact on your weight.
Most experts warn against the yo-yo effect of dieting. Find out why they are harmful to your figure and even your health.
Risks of the Coffee Loophole Diet
Experts have a lot of questions about this diet. “There's no supplement I would recommend regularly for suppressing hunger,” says registered dietitian Dina Champion. The dosage, duration, and combinations of the ingredients and supplements listed above haven't been studied together, so the Coffee Loophole Diet isn't safe or long-term.
The whole concept of the Coffee Loophole diet leads to eating disorders, “suggesting that you fill your stomach with coffee and supplements and completely ignore hunger cues,” Brissett adds.
Dr. Shah says there's also a risk of overdoing it with caffeine. “Caffeine is a stimulant. And that can potentially lead to dehydration,” he says. “If you're constantly drinking coffee, it also puts extra strain on your heart.” Overall, if you start drinking coffee with additives every time you feel hungry, you could start to have health problems.
“Coffee loopholes can cause you to have acid reflux—especially if you drink coffee with lemon and cayenne pepper. They can irritate the lining of your stomach,” says Dr. Shah.
Although the Coffee Loop Diet uses ingredients you may already have at home, there are downsides, Dr. Shah emphasizes. Instead of trying to fight your hunger, intuitive eating and mindful eating principles are probably healthier long-term strategies.
What is the Coffee Loophole Diet: Does it Work?
According to Dr. Shah, it’s possible that you’ll lose some weight on this diet. But it’s also possible that you’ll gain weight. The process is very individual. And you should always consult your doctor before trying any weight-loss strategy.
“The hunger suppression you get from this is very short-term,” he says. “The problem with short-term appetite suppression is that later in the day you’ll just want to eat even more. It’s not a long-term strategy, or even the best strategy.”
Some of the supplements mentioned above can help with weight loss, says Champion. But rarely to the extent that people hope. Instead of opting for quick ways to shed pounds, opt for a high-fiber diet to stay full and satisfied, eat more protein, and do strength training to stay strong and lose weight steadily.
So while the Coffee Loop Diet sounds like a quick and easy way to lose weight, it's probably best to skip it.
Some people also recommend drinking green tea for weight loss. But is it really effective?