MoyoJava Review: Slimming Coffee From Africa? Really?

Wow. I didn't know this, but apparently, MoyoJava is a "rare, delicious African coffee that dissolves belly fat" and offers its drinkers "miraculous health and weight loss benefits." Many scientists—none of whom seem to feel strongly enough to have their names published—are proclaiming MoyoJava "nature's hidden weight loss cure."

Really?

Well, look at all the clinical references they cite—and what about the guarantee? Surely this is a credible product?

It may surprise you, but guarantees are a dime a dozen online. In my experience (and I do not have any feedback on MoyoJava's policies yet) the majority of companies either do not honor their guarantees, or they make it extremely difficult for the customer to obtain any sort of a refund. The reason for this is simple; none of these companies has a marketing brand to protect.

When you purchase a "no-name" weight loss product online, you rarely know who you are really purchasing from. Few of these companies actually reveal who they are—where their headquarters is located, the names of the people "behind" the product, and so on.

And that's true for MoyoJava—take a look at their "About Us" and "Contact Us" pages—pages that usually tell the reader something "about them"; there's virtually nothing revealed about who runs this company. And when you don't know who you are purchasing from, you can't lodge a complaint or boycott any further products, right? (I've recently written a blog post about why you should be concerned about purchasing only from reputable brands).

And what about the clinical references they are using to justify their miraculous weight loss claims?

The main one referred to on the web site (BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2006, 6:9) was not performed on humans—it was performed on mice. While animal studies are promising, they do not necessarily translate into the same results in humans. So is it any wonder the retailers don't actually reference this study directly with a link, like I just did? There are no credible, human-based studies validating the weight loss effects of chlorogenic acid... yet.

Additionally, this study was not performed with the MoyoJava coffee, it was performed with green coffee bean, another rich source of chlorogenic acid.

Let's look at some of the other claims...

1) Boosts sex drive: If you're a female rat, a new study (Guarraci, F. (2006). Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior) indicates caffeine certainly appears to do just that.

If you're a human being, there is no conclusive evidence that this is so.

2) Boosts brain powder: Yes, there is a study that demonstrates caffeine's "neuroprotective" characteristics (see NEUROLOGY 2007;69:536-545). Other studies indicate caffeine may make you forgetful.

Regardless, this is a characteristic of caffeine. Yep, the same stuff you'll find in "regular" coffee and teas. This benefit is not restricted to this "rare African coffee" that you must pay nearly $50 for.

3) Helps you burn fat instead of carbs: Again, this refers to caffeine, and not the MoyoJava coffee exclusively. This study (J Appl Physiol. 2002 Sep;93(3):990-9) was performed on competitive athletes in an intense exercise scenario and is unlikely to be completely applicable to the average dieter living a sedentary lifestyle.

4) Dissolves belly fat: Although it doesn't "dissolve belly fat" (nothing does) caffeine is a well known thermogenic with a proven track record (see Am J Clin Nutr. 1989 Jan;49(1):44-50, Am J Clin Nutr. 1980 May;33(5):989-97). If you are currently drinking coffee or tea, you're already receiving the benefits of this ingredient.

A couple of comments about caffeine consumption...

1) Post menopausal women should be concerned about their intake, as research shows caffeine can accelerate bone loss (see American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 60, 573-578).

2) Although there's all sorts of contradictory data on this, recent studies (see American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 87, No. 5, 1254-1261, May 2008) indicate coffee consumption may impair glucose management and may be a risk factor for insulin resistance.

What's the bottom line on MoyoJava?

Coffee is a great source of anti oxidants, chlorogenic acid, caffeine, and other chemicals. And you can buy it in any supermarket for very little money. Frankly, I see no reason to experiment with MojoJava. In large part, the benefits attributed to this product are due to its caffeine content. This statement made on the product web site...

"...Exciting, new clinical research confirms this extremely rare African coffee..."

... is simply not true. None of the clinical evidence cited involved studies that were performed on the MoyoJava coffee.

Additionally, the "miraculous" weight loss benefits of chlorogenic acid haven't been established in any credible human study, nor has it been established just how great a source of this compound the MojoJava coffee is. Is it, for example, more potent than regular coffee?

According to one study (Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 79, 362-372, 1999) and the Coffee Science Information Center...

"... a 200 ml cup of arabica coffee contains between 70 and 200 mg chlorogenic acid whereas a cup of robusta coffee contains between 70 and 350 mg."

Does MoyoJava contain more chlorogenic acid? Less? The same?

Who knows?

As it stands, there are simply less expensive ways to obtain both the chlorogenic acid and caffeine that this product claims to offer.

Is the African Slimming coffee really a miraculous weight loss cure?

All the evidence indicates... no.

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