If you spend any time on social media, you’ve probably seen the new viral health trend called the “coffee loophole.” Many influencers tout this as a new, effective weight-loss method that boosts metabolism and helps you shed pounds. But is this a fast-fading fad, or is it the real deal?
Let’s get into everything you need to know about the coffee loophole — from the definition to the science behind the technique.
What Is the Coffee Loophole?
The "coffee loophole" refers to drinking coffee infused with ingredients like lemon juice, honey, and cinnamon to reduce hunger and potentially support weight loss.
Advocates claim this mix “floods the body with metabolism-boosting properties.”
While some claims are exaggerated, there’s partial truth behind them. Caffeine may temporarily boost metabolism [1], coffee can suppress appetite [2], honey offers a quick energy spike, and lemon juice may stimulate digestion.
Though the metabolism-boosting effects are debatable, this drink could help reduce hunger and promote smaller meals, potentially aiding weight loss.
Step-By-Step Guide to Making Coffee Loophole Coffee
Making loophole coffee is a simple process. Let’s go through it step-by-step so that you can try the viral beverage:
1. Brew The Coffee
Start off by brewing a cup of strong black coffee. Coffee with high caffeine content such as 100% robusta is better.
You can use any of your preferred brewing methods to make loophole coffee. Drip coffee, pour-over, French press, phin filter, moka pot, and Aeropress filter work well in loophole coffee.
2. Add Lemon Juice
Add around a teaspoon of lemon juice to the coffee. Using fresh lemon juice is better, though more labor intensive.
3. Add Cinnamon
Add a quarter of a teaspoon of cinnamon to the coffee. The amount of cinnamon in coffee matters, especially since it won't dissolve into the coffee and can leave a texture that's undesirable to some.
If the texture of raw cinnamon in the coffee isn't for you, consider adding a teaspoon to your grounds before brewing. This way, you'll extract the flavor and aroma of the cinnamon while avoiding the gritty texture in the cup.
4. Sweeten With Honey (Optional)
Add a teaspoon of honey to the brew. This step is optional but it can provide longer-lasting energy which may help you avoid food for longer.
5. Mix Well
Give everything a good stir to combine it.
6. Drink
Enjoy the beverage. If you’re drinking the brew to reduce hunger, most people recommend consuming it quickly. Drinking the brew within seven minutes will fill your stomach with coffee, which may reduce hunger pangs.
Coffee Loophole: Key Ingredients and Their Benefits
All the ingredients involved in loophole coffee have different benefits, that ultimately aid weight management. Let’s break down some of the key benefits of these ingredients:
1. Coffee
Firstly, coffee's caffeine has several beneficial properties. Most importantly, it speeds up metabolism and gut motility, which may lead to weight loss [1,6].
The bitterness of coffee may stimulate the release of the hormone gastrin, which is responsible for several actions in the digestive system [7]. Think of gastrin as an accelerator pedal for your stomach — when more gastrin is in your system, your stomach will be quicker and more efficient when digesting food.
2. Lemon Juice
Adding lemon juice to the beverage gives your system a hit of vitamin C, which is vital for your body to function properly. Vitamin C plays several roles in your health, and heart health is one of the most important for weight loss [3].
Getting enough of this nutrient can ensure your cardiovascular system is in good shape. So, you’ll have more energy to exercise more efficiently and get through the day, allowing you to manage your weight a little better.
The acidity of lemon juice can also stimulate the digestive system, helping you expel waste faster.
3. Cinnamon
Cinnamon has long been used in a range of traditional medicinal practices, and rigorous study has shown that it has an objective impact on the body. One feature of cinnamon is that it functions as an anti-inflammatory agent [4].
Inflammation occurs throughout the body for many reasons, and doctors believe it's the main cause of aches and pains and several chronic pain conditions. Reducing inflammation can be helpful during the weight loss process, especially if you're starting to exercise regularly.
4. Honey
Honey has several impressive properties, particularly in managing weight. According to some studies, honey helps limit weight gain and the accumulation of fat stores [5].
While exclusively consuming honey is not good for you due to its high sugar content, adding a little to your coffee could help. Honey may lead to your digestive system processing food in a way that's more effective. It may also provide prolonged energy, reducing your need for high-calorie foods, and potentially helping you stop weight gain.
Tips for Maximizing Results of the Coffee Loophole
How do you ensure the coffee loophole will work for you? It isn’t just about following the recipe well; it’s about ensuring that the ingredients work for you. Let’s run through some quick ways that you can maximize the results you can hope to see with the coffee loophole.
1. Choose High-Quality Coffee
Firstly, it’s wise to use high-quality coffee. Coffee is a chemically complex substance with many different vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. By using high-grade coffee, you can ensure you get lots of these powerful nutrients — plus, you’ll experience the best flavors possible.
Opt for something with a powerful flavor. A strong coffee can stimulate your senses and suppress any feelings of hunger.
2. Make It a Part of Your Morning Routine
One of the most important things about the coffee loophole is drinking the beverage on an empty stomach. Make the drink part of your morning routine and drink it throughout the day whenever you feel hungry.
This will help induce a feeling of fullness and it may allow the ingredients to be absorbed into your system more rapidly.
3. Keep It Consistent Over the Long Run
We also suggest regularly having the loophole coffee. While the ingredients can have rapid effects on your system, you may see a greater weight loss impact when taken over a longer period.
You may notice this in particular with the cinnamon’s anti-inflammatory properties: longer periods of taking the anti-inflammatory spice could make you feel its effectiveness slightly more overall. So if you have recurring injuries, skin issues, or are sore from working out, keep an eye on how the drink is affecting your body.
4. Consume Volume
The volume of liquid you consume will help you feel fuller for longer and the lack of food content may help you lose weight.
Essentially, your digestive system turns anything it can into energy — mainly with the food in your stomach. Without food, it will do this with sugars in your bloodstream. If there are no sugars, it will start to break down fat stores in your body. When your body repeats this process over a long period, it can lead to weight loss.
Consuming large volumes of loophole coffee responsibly throughout the day may help keep you in the fat-burning phase for longer, thus leading to increased weight loss.
Potential Side Effects and Considerations
The primary side effects to be concerned about are from the caffeine in the coffee. While caffeine is something to which most people are accustomed, the coffee loophole diet may encourage you to drink more caffeine than usual.
Getting more than the suggested amount of daily caffeine may lead to anxiety, tremors, and gastrointestinal distress. In more extreme situations, it can also lead to seizures and heart palpitations.
For most people, these extreme situations are not something to worry about. By the time you’ve ingested enough coffee for the caffeine to be a concern, your organs will have started to metabolize the caffeine. However, the high caffeine content of coffee could be a concern for pregnant people or those with heart conditions.
Honey comes from bees, of course, so it isn’t suitable for those following a vegan diet. There is some debate about this since the bees naturally tend to produce more than they need, but a strict vegan may choose to avoid the coffee loophole for this reason.
Coffee Loophole for Weight Loss vs. Similar Drinks
The coffee loophole can be a powerful tool for weight loss. Coffee's metabolism-boosting properties work in tandem with lemon and cinnamon to create a comprehensive weight-loss tool.
Other drinks have shown similar weight loss benefits, so let's explore their potential benefits.
1. Bulletproof Coffee
Bulletproof coffee is an interesting coffee drink with an impressive cult following. The idea originated in the Himalayas and East Africa, where Dave Asprey learned about it before spreading it around the world.
The idea is simple — add butter or MCT oil (medium-chain triglyceride oil) to coffee to provide more energy in the form of fat. It was originally invented to combat the intense cold of the Himalayas but is now principally popular among followers of the keto diet.
There are many purported benefits of bulletproof coffee, though some are exaggerated. However, some are conclusively backed by hard science. For instance, bulletproof coffee may suppress appetite and increase resting metabolic rate [9]. In some people, these benefits may aid weight loss. However, bulletproof coffee is intensely calorific due to the addition of fat, so it may not be as effective as other methods unless you strictly follow a keto plan — making it one of the best keto coffee options for those committed to that lifestyle.
2. Ginger Tea
Ginger tea is a popular alternative to coffee and a popular herbal tea in its own right. It’s unclear how much of a benefit to weight loss ginger tea may have, though ginger has long been used in many herbal remedies and could have a secondary effect to aid weight loss.
For instance, it’s known to effectively reduce nausea, which could help those who feel nauseous during periods of hunger when dieting [10]. One other potential benefit is that ginger has been shown to aid healthy blood sugar management in patients with type 2 diabetes, potentially helping them lose weight [11].
3. Lemon Water
Lemon water is another alternative to coffee, and it’s popularly considered to aid with weight loss.
Little direct evidence supports this theory, but drinking more water before eating could help people feel full more quickly [12]. Having lemon in the water is unlikely to impact this, but the fact that it’s a pleasant drink may make someone less likely to drink a high-calorie alternative.
If you’re drinking a ton of high-sugar sodas, lemon water is a great substitute, giving you some flavor for your hydration.
4. Green Tea
Green tea is a popular coffee replacement since it’s a hot, mildly caffeinated drink. While the two drinks don’t taste very similar, they both offer a pleasant caffeine hit.
The health benefits of green tea are seemingly endless, with many different wellness influencers urging their followers to drink green tea and experience it.
Regarding weight loss, some very promising science links green tea to fat-burning [13]. Across several different demographics, the study found that regular green tea consumption could aid fat-burning in different types of exercise. This could make it a useful tool to increase the impact of exercise on weight loss.
FAQs: The Coffee Loophole
The coffee loophole is a fascinating method packed with science. Now that we’ve reviewed some of its core values, let's review some FAQs.
1. Can I Add Milk or Cream to My Coffee Loophole?
While you technically can add milk or cream to your loophole coffee, we’d advise against it. The low-fat content of loophole coffee aids in the weight loss process by reducing your caloric intake. Therefore, adding milk or cream can negate this benefit.
2. How Long Does It Take to See Weight-loss Results from Loophole Coffee?
Results can vary with the coffee loophole because it’s best used as a tool to complement a healthy diet and exercise regime. However, when used that way, most people will likely see some results in a few weeks or so.
3. Is the Coffee Loophole Suitable for Everyone?
The coffee loophole is generally safe and suitable for most people, but it may not be perfect for everyone. In particular, if you’re pregnant or have a heart condition, you should avoid this highly caffeinated beverage. Of course, the honey used here makes it not suitable for vegans.
4. Can Decaf Coffee Be Used for the Coffee Loophole?
While you technically could use decaf coffee, doing so may reduce the beverage's effectiveness. Caffeine is the most important ingredient in the drink since it may boost your metabolism. By drinking coffee with less caffeine, the whole loophole method will likely be less impactful.
5. Are There Any Other Ingredients That Can Be Added to Enhance the Coffee Loophole?
Yes — you can add several different supplements and spices for different health benefits. For instance, you can add turmeric, another potentially potent anti-inflammatory ingredient.
6. How Does the Coffee Loophole Impact Daily Energy Levels?
While this is likely to vary from person to person, a number of different users report improved energy levels overall. This is likely because of the combination of caffeine and sugar in the drink, which can reduce feelings of sleepiness and give you a boost in energy.
7. Can the Coffee Loophole Replace a Meal?
No, you should not use the coffee loophole to replace a meal — it simply doesn’t contain enough nutrients to do that job. Instead, it should be part of a balanced diet. For those trying to lose weight, aiming for a diet with plenty of added fruits and vegetables can be beneficial.
8. Does the Coffee Loophole Help With Appetite Suppression?
Some ingredients may help to reduce cravings and control appetite, but this can vary from person to person. It may also help to suppress appetite because you’re adding something to your stomach — filling some space with hot coffee could help to reduce feelings of hunger.
9. Is There Scientific Evidence Supporting the Coffee Loophole?
Researchers have linked several health benefits behind individual ingredients of the coffee loophole drink. In separate studies, they found positive outcomes on weight loss and anti-inflammation. However, there isn’t any research on the drink as a whole.
10. Where Can I Buy Ingredients for the Coffee Loophole?
You can buy the majority of the ingredients in the drink in a supermarket or a health food store. However, to get the best coffee beans you can, you might consider tracking down some specialty beans to ensure the brew is strong and tasty.
References:
- Acheson, K. J., Zahorska-Markiewicz, B., Pittet, P., Anantharaman, K., & Jéquier, E. (1980). Caffeine and coffee: their influence on metabolic rate and substrate utilization in normal weight and obese individuals. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 33(5), 989–997.
- Magaña-de la Vega, L., Martínez-López, E., Sanchez-Murguia, T., Madrigal-Juárez, A., Rodríguez-Reyes, S. C., Aguilar-Vega, I., & Torres-Castillo, N. (2024). Effect of coffee intake on appetite parameters in woman with overweight or obesity: A pilot crossover randomized trial. Endocrinologia, diabetes y nutricion, 71(6), 236–245.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.-b). Office of dietary supplements - vitamin C. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements.
- Gunawardena, D., Karunaweera, N., Lee, S., van Der Kooy, F., Harman, D. G., Raju, R., Bennett, L., Gyengesi, E., Sucher, N. J., & Münch, G. (2015). Anti-inflammatory activity of cinnamon (C. zeylanicum and C. cassia) extracts - identification of E-cinnamaldehyde and o-methoxy cinnamaldehyde as the most potent bioactive compounds. Food & function, 6(3), 910–919.
- Ramli, N. Z., Chin, K. Y., Zarkasi, K. A., & Ahmad, F. (2018). A Review on the Protective Effects of Honey against Metabolic Syndrome. Nutrients, 10(8), 1009.
- Iriondo-DeHond A, Uranga JA, Del Castillo MD, Abalo R. Effects of Coffee and Its Components on the Gastrointestinal Tract and the Brain-Gut Axis. Nutrients. 2020 Dec 29;13(1):88. doi: 10.3390/nu13010088. PMID: 33383958; PMCID: PMC7824117.
- Acheson, K. J., Zahorska-Markiewicz, B., Pittet, P., Anantharaman, K., & Jéquier, E. (1980). Caffeine and coffee: their influence on metabolic rate and substrate utilization in normal weight and obese individuals. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 33(5), 989–997.
- Omoigui S. (2007). The biochemical origin of pain: the origin of all pain is inflammation and the inflammatory response. Part 2 of 3 - inflammatory profile of pain syndromes. Medical hypotheses, 69(6), 1169–1178.
- Crampton, K., Jackson, G., Streight, H., & Little, J. (2021). Investigating the Effects of a High-Fat Coffee Beverage Containing Medium-Chain Triglyceride Oil and Ghee on Cognitive Function and Measures of Satiety. Current Developments in Nutrition, 5, 902.
- Yücel, Ç., Karatoprak, G. Ş., Açıkara, Ö. B., Akkol, E. K., Barak, T. H., Sobarzo-Sánchez, E., Aschner, M., & Shirooie, S. (2022). Immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory therapeutic potential of gingerols and their nanoformulations. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 13, 902551.
- Ebrahimzadeh, A., Ebrahimzadeh, A., Mirghazanfari, S. M., Hazrati, E., Hadi, S., & Milajerdi, A. (2022). The effect of ginger supplementation on metabolic profiles in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Complementary therapies in medicine, 65, 102802.
- Jeong, J. N. (2018). Effect of Pre-meal Water Consumption on Energy Intake and Satiety in Non-obese Young Adults. Clinical Nutrition Research, 7(4), 291.
- Rostamian Mashhadi, M., Hosseini, S.R.A. The interaction effect of green tea consumption and exercise training on fat oxidation, body composition and blood lipids in humans: a review of the literature. Sport Sci Health 19, 461–477 (2023).
