Believe it or not, before your coffee beans were roasted, they once were raw seeds, more like a green colored cranberry than the brown nut-like bean you are familiar with. That raw bean is green coffee.
Green coffee has a higher amount of CGAs than roasted coffee beans because the roasting process breaks down the chlorogenic acid.
So why not just drink green coffee? The roasting process is what gives coffee its amazing aroma and flavor you know and love, and because of that, green coffee has a very different taste. In fact, itâs so different that green coffee is usually sold as an extract or in capsule form, instead of by the mug full. If youâre curious to try green coffee yourself, here are the directions to make it!
If youâre not a green coffee convert, donât sweat it. Roasted coffee still packs a big CGA punch, one that is actually bigger than other popular antioxidant-rich foods like kale.
This is because green coffee contains chlorogenic acid that limits your body from absorbing carbohydrates that you eat
Looks interesting⊠have you tried it yet (Green coffee)? Anyone here done a deep dive into this product / compound?
Chlorogenic acid is under preliminary research for its possible biological effects.[16][17][18]
Chlorogenic acid has not been approved as a prescription drug or food additive recognized as a safe ingredient for foods or beverages.[19] There is not enough evidence to determine whether it is safe or effective for human health, and its use in high doses, such as excessive consumption of green coffee, may have adverse effects.[20]
Very impressive. All of that effect from half the amount you would get from a pretty standard amount of coffee though. Iâd like to see higher doses being tested. I hate visceral fat and want it eliminated.
Cafestol, the Cholesterol-Raising Factor in Boiled Coffee, Suppresses Bile Acid Synthesis by Downregulation of Cholesterol 7α-Hydroxylase and Sterol 27-Hydroxylase in Rat Hepatocytes
Natural cholorogenic acid content in cofee seems to be a function of various parameters⊠I only drink high-altitude arabica-like specialty coffees, which means lower caffeine, lighter roast and higher CGA with respect to robusta (usual bar blend) which is usually very roasted. Plus, it is less aggressive on the stomach linings.
Based on comprehensive analysis of peer-reviewed literature, hereâs the updated comparison of chlorogenic acid (CGA) content including dark-roasted robusta, with key biochemical insights:
Chlorogenic Acid (CGA) Content Comparison
Coffee Type
CGA Content Range (% Dry Weight)
Degradation vs. Green
Key Biochemical Factors
Green Robusta Beans
7â10%
â
Genetic predisposition for high phenylpropanoid flux; stress-induced synthesis at low altitudes.
Green Arabica Beans
5.5â8%
â
Lower innate CGA synthesis; altitude >1,200 masl boosts levels by 5â15% via UV stress response.
Bean heterogeneity and aggressive roasting curves increase degradation of heat-sensitive CGAs.
Dark-Roasted Robusta
1â3%
70â90% loss
Severe Maillard reactions (Agtron <40) destroy CGA; isomerization to bitter chlorogenic lactones dominates.
Critical Scientific Insights
Robustaâs High Baseline, Severe Roast Loss:
Green robustaâs CGA advantage (7â10%) is eroded by dark roasting, retaining <30% of original CGA (Perrone et al., Food Chem., 2010).
Prolonged high-temperature roasting hydrolyzes CGA into caffeic acid and quinic acid, then further decomposes them (Ludwig et al., Food Funct., 2014).
Lactone Formation in Dark Roasts:
Up to 35% of degraded CGA converts to chlorogenic lactones during dark roasting (Moon et al., J. Agric. Food Chem., 2009).
These lactones contribute to the harsh bitterness characteristic of dark robusta brews.
Antioxidant Trade-Off:
While CGA decreases 90%, melanoidins (Maillard polymers) increase, providing alternative antioxidants â but with lower bioavailability (Vignoli et al., Food Res. Int., 2014).
Acidity Shift:
Dark-roasted robusta has pH >5.0 (vs. pH 4.5â4.8 in light roasts) due to CGA degradation, reducing perceived acidity (Rao et al., Sci. Rep., 2020).
Practical Implications
Highest CGA: Green robusta > Green arabica > Light-roasted high-altitude arabica.
Health Optimization: For CGA benefits, light roasting preserves 2â3Ă more CGA than dark roasting.
Sensory Note: Dark robustaâs low CGA correlates with muted acidity and dominant roasted/bitter notes.
References
Perrone et al. (2010):Quantified CGA degradation kinetics across roast levels.
Moon et al. (2009):Identified chlorogenic lactones as key bitter compounds in dark roasts.
Vignoli et al. (2014):Demonstrated melanoidinsâ antioxidant capacity offsetting CGA loss in dark roasts.
Rao et al. (2020):Linked CGA degradation to pH rise in dark roasting.
Caveat: Values vary with roast profiling, bean origin, and processing (e.g., wet-hulled robusta loses CGA faster than washed). Dark robusta is often used in espresso blends for crema stability â not for CGA retention.
If âCreole coffeeâ = New Orleansâstyle coffee with chicory: it tends to have more acrylamide than regular coffeeâeven if itâs very darkâbecause roasted chicory root is unusually acrylamide-rich. (FDA testing shows several coffee-and-chicory blends far higher than typical coffees: e.g., 380â609 ”g/kg in the ground product vs ~90â180 ”g/kg for many regular dark roasts.) (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, PubMed)
If itâs just an extremely dark roast (no chicory): darker roasting usually lowers acrylamide (it forms early then degrades with prolonged roast). Some studies even find a peak around light-to-medium and lower levels again at dark. (Healthline, PMC)
ALEs (advanced lipoxidation end-products): brewed coffee generally contains little measurable AGE/ALE markers (like CML) compared with many browned foods; effects of roast are modest (often rising from light to medium then falling by dark). (Cambridge University Press & Assessment, PMC)
A couple of trade-offs to know:
Very dark roasts can have higher PAHs (pyrolysis products) even while acrylamide drops; absolute PAH amounts in coffee are small compared with charred meats, but they do trend upward with roast level. (PMC, NutritionFacts.org)
Brewing method matters for ALEs: paper-filtered drip yields a low-lipid beverage (fewer lipoxidation products extracted) compared with unfiltered methods (e.g., French press). (General AGE/ALE principles in foods.) (Cambridge University Press & Assessment)
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Caveat: Values vary with roast profiling, bean origin, and processing (e.g., wet-hulled robusta loses CGA faster than washed). Dark robusta is often used in espresso blends for crema stability â not for CGA retention.