While there isn't a magical elixir for weight loss, new evidence suggests that downing supplements made of green coffee bean extract may help in the battle of the bulge.

In a small study, adults given up to 1,050 milligrams of the extract for 22 weeks lost about 10.5 percent of their overall body weight (an average of 17 pounds), without changing their normal diets or exercise routines or suffering any adverse side-effects.

Study author Joe Vinson, a chemist at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, said in a statement, "Based on our results, taking multiple capsules of green coffee extract a day -- while eating a low-fat, healthful diet and exercising regularly -- appears to be a safe, effective, inexpensive way to lose weight."

While Vinson believes chlorogenic acid, a chemical in the unroasted bean, is responsible for the weight loss, others point to the stimulant properties of caffeine as a more likely cause.

Regardless, Keith Ayoob, a registered dietitian and associate professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, said, "It’s a supplement, not a substitute. The emphasis will always need to be on overall diet and physical activity.”

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