Compound Monograph

Chlorogenic acid

Phenolics Phenolic Acids Natural (plant-derived)

The caffeic-acid ester of quinic acid and the dominant polyphenol of green coffee. Extensively broken down by gut bacteria before absorption, so little reaches the blood intact; the one human effect that holds up is a modest, dose-gated blood-pressure reduction — while its famous green-coffee weight-loss claim collapsed with a retracted trial.

Sources · 48

Where Does It Come From?

Chlorogenic acid is a naturally occurring hydroxycinnamic acid ester (caffeoylquinic acid), found in Globe Artichoke, Calendula, Cat's Claw and 45 other sources. It is well tolerated orally (low toxicity).

Principal source Globe Artichoke Cynara scolymus Herb monograph → Source Bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus Herb monograph → Source Burdock Arctium lappa Herb monograph → Source Calamus Acorus calamus Herb monograph → Source Calendula Calendula officinalis Herb monograph → Source Cat's Claw Uncaria tomentosa Herb monograph → Source Chir Pine Pinus roxburghii Herb monograph → Source Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemum morifolium Herb monograph → Source Coffee Coffea arabica Herb monograph → Source Coltsfoot Tussilago farfara Herb monograph → Source Comfrey Symphytum officinale Herb monograph → Source Cornflower Centaurea cyanus Herb monograph → Source Cramp Bark Viburnum opulus Herb monograph → Source Dandelion Taraxacum officinale Herb monograph → Source Echinacea Echinacea purpurea Herb monograph → Source Eleuthero Root Eleutherococcus senticosus Herb monograph → Source Goldenrod Solidago virgaurea Herb monograph → Source Greater Celandine Chelidonium majus Herb monograph → Source Guamura Cecropia obtusifolia Herb monograph → Source Guayusa Ilex guayusa Herb monograph → Source Hawthorn Crataegus oxyacantha Herb monograph → Source Honeysuckle Lonicera japonica Herb monograph → Source Hyssop Hyssopus officinalis Herb monograph → Source Lemongrass Cymbopogon citratus Herb monograph → Source Linden Flower Tilia spp. Herb monograph → Source Melissa Melissa officinalis Herb monograph → Source Motherwort Leonurus cardiaca Herb monograph → Source Mugwort Artemisia vulgaris Herb monograph → Source Raspberry Leaf Rubus idaeus Herb monograph → Source Samambaia Polypodium leucotomos Herb monograph → Source Sarsaparilla Smilax spp. Herb monograph → Source Spikenard Aralia racemosa Herb monograph → Source Stevia Stevia rebaudiana Herb monograph → Source Stinging Nettle Urtica dioica Herb monograph → Source Tarragon Artemisia dracunculus Herb monograph → Source Tick Trefoil Desmodium spp. Herb monograph → Source Wood Betony Stachys officinalis Herb monograph → Source Yarrow Achillea millefolium Herb monograph → Source Yerba Maté Ilex paraguariensis Herb monograph →
Also found in
Apple Monograph coming soon
Blueberry Monograph coming soon
Eggplant Monograph coming soon
Green coffee bean Monograph coming soon
Green coffee beans Monograph coming soon
Potato Monograph coming soon
Prunes Monograph coming soon
Sunflower seed Monograph coming soon
Sunflower seeds Monograph coming soon

Concentration

Content by Source

Reported concentrations across the plants that contain chlorogenic acid — the bar marks the typical level, the line shows the reported range.

Typical level Reported range mg/100 g
Globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus) head 50–450 [29]
Eggplant (Solanum melongena) fruit 50–200 [31]
Prune / dried plum (Prunus domestica) dried fruit 90–185 [35]
Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) fruit 45–90 [30]
Apple (Malus domestica, with skin) fruit 5–40 [30]
Potato (Solanum tuberosum) tuber flesh 5–30 [33]
Plum (Prunus domestica) fruit 10–20 [30]
Pear (Pyrus communis) fruit 3–11 [35]

Literature figures for varying plant parts and preparations. Read them as a comparative guide, not exact assays.

Chlorogenic acid at a Glance

Chlorogenic acid is the caffeic-acid ester of quinic acid and the dominant polyphenol of coffee — far more abundant in the green bean than the roasted one, since roasting degrades it. It is the compound green-coffee-extract supplements are standardised to.

Its pharmacokinetics are the governing fact: gut bacteria break it down extensively before absorption, so little reaches the blood intact and much of what circulates are microbial metabolites rather than the parent compound.

The one human effect that holds up is a modest, dose-dependent reduction in blood pressure, with glucose and vascular markers behind it.

What It's Used For

Chlorogenic acid — 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid, the caffeic-acid ester of quinic acid — is the dominant polyphenol of green coffee and one of the most abundant hydroxycinnamates in the human diet. Two facts frame its pharmacology. First, most human “chlorogenic acid” trials actually dose green coffee bean extract, a standardized multi-compound prep, not the pure molecule — so extract results don’t cleanly transfer to the isolate 1,6Reference 1Kozuma K et al. · 2005RCTAntihypertensive effect of green coffee bean extract on mildly hypertensive subjects — dose-response RCTView study →Reference 6Mubarak A et al. · 2012RCTAcute effects of chlorogenic acid on nitric oxide status, endothelial function, and blood pressure in healthy volunteers — randomised trial (pure chlorogenic acid)View study →.

Second, the molecule is extensively dismantled before it reaches the bloodstream: only about a third is absorbed intact in the small intestine, and the rest is broken down by gut bacteria into smaller phenolic acids, so what circulates is mostly metabolites, not chlorogenic acid itself 15,16,21Reference 15Olthof MR et al. · 2001Chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid are absorbed in humans (~33% of chlorogenic acid absorbed in the small intestine)View study →Reference 16Stalmach A et al. · 2010Bioavailability of chlorogenic acids following acute ingestion of coffee by humans with an ileostomyView study →Reference 21Clifford MN et al. · 2020ReviewBioavailability and metabolism of chlorogenic acids (acyl-quinic acids) in humans — reviewView study →.

Read the modest human evidence — and the one discredited claim — with both in mind.

Best-supported:a modest, dose-gated blood-pressure reduction (~4–6 mmHg systolic), with at least one trial using the pure molecule rather than just extract 2,3Reference 2Watanabe T et al. · 2006RCTThe blood pressure-lowering effect and safety of chlorogenic acid from green coffee bean extract in essential hypertension — RCT (isolated chlorogenic acid, 140 mg/day)View study →Reference 3Onakpoya IJ et al. · 2015Meta-analysisThe effect of chlorogenic acid on blood pressure — systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials (5 RCTs, n=364)View study →.
Mechanistically clean, but acute/surrogate only:improves endothelial (flow-mediated) vascular function — including a pure-5-CQA arm — but in single doses, in healthy volunteers 6,7Reference 6Mubarak A et al. · 2012RCTAcute effects of chlorogenic acid on nitric oxide status, endothelial function, and blood pressure in healthy volunteers — randomised trial (pure chlorogenic acid)View study →Reference 7Mills CE et al. · 2017RCTMediation of coffee-induced improvements in human vascular function by chlorogenic acids and its metabolites — two randomised, controlled, crossover trials (incl. pure 5-CQA arm)View study →.
Small and extract-based:minor falls in fasting glucose and metabolic markers, almost all from green-coffee extract 9,10Reference 9Nikpayam O et al. · 2019Meta-analysisEffects of green coffee extract on fasting blood glucose, insulin concentration and HOMA-IR — systematic review and meta-analysis of interventional studiesView study →Reference 10Pourmasoumi M et al. · 2021Meta-analysisThe effect of green coffee bean extract on cardiovascular risk factors — systematic review and meta-analysisView study →.
Discredited:the famous green-coffee weight-loss result rests on a retracted, FTC-sanctioned trial — treat it as unsupported 11,12,13Reference 11Onakpoya I et al. · 2011Meta-analysisThe use of green coffee extract as a weight loss supplement — systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials (trials high risk of bias)View study →Reference 12Vinson JA et al. · 2012RCTRETRACTED: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, linear dose, crossover study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a green coffee bean extract in overweight subjectsView study →Reference 13Retraction notice · 2014RCTRandomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, linear dose, crossover study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a green coffee bean extract in overweight subjectsView study →.
The caveat that frames everything:the molecule is extensively metabolized by gut bacteria; blood levels of the parent stay sub-micromolar, far below the concentrations used in most cell studies 15,21Reference 15Olthof MR et al. · 2001Chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid are absorbed in humans (~33% of chlorogenic acid absorbed in the small intestine)View study →Reference 21Clifford MN et al. · 2020ReviewBioavailability and metabolism of chlorogenic acids (acyl-quinic acids) in humans — reviewView study →.
Evidence by IndicationStrength of support · Beta

Support is an experimental score I’m building — a composite weighted by study type (human > animal > in vitro > review) and study volume, tempered for isolate-vs-extract match and bioavailability. It’s a beta: a fast way to rank strength of evidence at a glance, not a validated metric. A high score means the claim is well-supported, not that the effect is large. Each application links down to its write-up.

Mechanisms

Target / pathwayEffectRelevant to
Antioxidant → nitric-oxide / endothelial supportpreserves NO, improves endothelium-dependent vasodilation
blood pressurevascular function
ACE inhibition (mild)vasodilation, lower vascular tone
blood pressure
Glucose-6-phosphatase inhibition + slowed intestinal glucose absorptionlowers hepatic glucose output, blunts post-prandial glucose
glucose & metabolic
AMPK activationimproves insulin sensitivity, anti-lipogenic
glucoseweight
Lipid-absorption / lipogenesis modulationreduces fat absorption (largely animal/in-vitro)
weight

Much of the AMPK, lipid-absorption and glucose-6-phosphatase work is animal and in-vitro at intact-chlorogenic-acid concentrations not reached in human plasma — see Pharmacokinetics.

Pharmacokinetics

Chlorogenic acid’s defining fact is that most of what circulates is not chlorogenic acid. In the classic ileostomy study, only about one-third of a pure dose is absorbed intact in the small intestine; the rest passes to the colon 15,16Reference 15Olthof MR et al. · 2001Chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid are absorbed in humans (~33% of chlorogenic acid absorbed in the small intestine)View study →Reference 16Stalmach A et al. · 2010Bioavailability of chlorogenic acids following acute ingestion of coffee by humans with an ileostomyView study →. There, gut bacteria hydrolyze the ester to caffeic acid and reduce it further to dihydrocaffeic, ferulic and dihydroferulic acids, down to hippuric acid — which the liver then conjugates to glucuronides, sulfates and methylated forms 17,18Reference 17Olthof MR et al. · 2003Chlorogenic acid, quercetin-3-rutinoside and black tea phenols are extensively metabolised in humansView study →Reference 18Stalmach A et al. · 2009Metabolite profiling of hydroxycinnamate derivatives in plasma and urine after ingestion of coffee by humans — biomarkers of coffee consumptionView study →. The species actually measured in blood are these small conjugated phenolic acids, not the parent ester 18,21Reference 18Stalmach A et al. · 2009Metabolite profiling of hydroxycinnamate derivatives in plasma and urine after ingestion of coffee by humans — biomarkers of coffee consumptionView study →Reference 21Clifford MN et al. · 2020ReviewBioavailability and metabolism of chlorogenic acids (acyl-quinic acids) in humans — reviewView study →.

Because absorption happens at two separated sites, the plasma curve is biphasic — an early peak (~0.5–1 h) from small-intestinal uptake and a large late peak (~4–6 h) from colonic catabolites — and total concentrations of the intact compound stay sub-micromolar to low-single-digit µmol/L even after a substantial dose 18,19,21Reference 18Stalmach A et al. · 2009Metabolite profiling of hydroxycinnamate derivatives in plasma and urine after ingestion of coffee by humans — biomarkers of coffee consumptionView study →Reference 19Monteiro M et al. · 2007Chlorogenic acid compounds from coffee are differentially absorbed and metabolised in humansView study →Reference 21Clifford MN et al. · 2020ReviewBioavailability and metabolism of chlorogenic acids (acyl-quinic acids) in humans — reviewView study →. The pattern varies enormously between people because it is driven by the gut microbiome, and the three coffee isomers (3-, 4-, 5-CQA) are absorbed and metabolized differently 19Reference 19Monteiro M et al. · 2007Chlorogenic acid compounds from coffee are differentially absorbed and metabolised in humansView study →. Green-coffee extract is, counter-intuitively, reasonably bioavailable once the microbial metabolites are counted — but again, almost none of it is the parent ester 20Reference 20Farah A et al. · 2008Chlorogenic acids from green coffee extract are highly bioavailable in humansView study →. The upshot: cell studies using 10–100 µmol/L of intact chlorogenic acid test a chemical species, and a concentration, that human oral dosing does not produce 21Reference 21Clifford MN et al. · 2020ReviewBioavailability and metabolism of chlorogenic acids (acyl-quinic acids) in humans — reviewView study →.

Clinical trials

Chlorogenic acid has been tested in dozens of small investigator- and industry-led RCTs — chiefly blood pressure, vascular function and metabolic markers — plus a cluster of green-coffee weight-loss trials of poor quality, one of which was retracted. As a cheap, off-patent food molecule it attracts little rigorous registered trial activity, and many “chlorogenic acid” trials in fact used branded green-coffee extracts.

CompletedPlannedTerminatedRetractedPreclinical
Many (small)Several—1 (weight loss)Extensive

Last checked: July 2026.

Isolate vs. Plant Studies

Chlorogenic acid is unusually prone to being over-read, in three ways.

First, the “isolate” trials usually aren’t the isolate. Most human chlorogenic-acid evidence comes from green coffee bean extract — a standardized multi-compound prep (an isomer mix of caffeoylquinic acids, often with residual caffeine), not the pure molecule 1,4Reference 1Kozuma K et al. · 2005RCTAntihypertensive effect of green coffee bean extract on mildly hypertensive subjects — dose-response RCTView study →Reference 4Han B et al. · 2019Meta-analysisThe effect of green coffee extract supplementation on blood pressure — systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trialsView study →. Only a handful of studies dosed pure chlorogenic acid: the Watanabe hypertension trial 2Reference 2Watanabe T et al. · 2006RCTThe blood pressure-lowering effect and safety of chlorogenic acid from green coffee bean extract in essential hypertension — RCT (isolated chlorogenic acid, 140 mg/day)View study →, the pure-5-CQA arms of the vascular studies 6,7Reference 6Mubarak A et al. · 2012RCTAcute effects of chlorogenic acid on nitric oxide status, endothelial function, and blood pressure in healthy volunteers — randomised trial (pure chlorogenic acid)View study →Reference 7Mills CE et al. · 2017RCTMediation of coffee-induced improvements in human vascular function by chlorogenic acids and its metabolites — two randomised, controlled, crossover trials (incl. pure 5-CQA arm)View study →, and the (negative) cognition trial 14Reference 14Camfield DA et al. · 2013RCTA randomised placebo-controlled trial to differentiate the acute cognitive and mood effects of chlorogenic acid from decaffeinated coffee (pure chlorogenic acid showed no cognitive benefit)View study →. Extract results and isolate results are not interchangeable.

Second, in plants it is an isomer mixture, and much “chlorogenic acid” is something else. Foods and herbs carry 3-CQA (neochlorogenic), 4-CQA (cryptochlorogenic) and 5-CQA (chlorogenic acid proper), plus di-caffeoylquinic acids. Several herb findings attributed to “chlorogenic acid” actually rest on di-CQAs — the anti-inflammatory activity in goldenrod is from 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, and coltsfoot’s antitussive effect is carried by chlorogenic acid together with dicaffeoylquinic acids, not by 5-CQA alone. Across this database chlorogenic acid is named in the antioxidant phenolic fraction of many herbs — burdock, dandelion, eleuthero, horsetail and others — almost always as a contributor to a whole-extract effect rather than an isolated-compound result. (One repo source, calendula, actually quantifies true 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid.)

Third, the active species in the body is a metabolite mixture, not the plant molecule 17,21Reference 17Olthof MR et al. · 2003Chlorogenic acid, quercetin-3-rutinoside and black tea phenols are extensively metabolised in humansView study →Reference 21Clifford MN et al. · 2020ReviewBioavailability and metabolism of chlorogenic acids (acyl-quinic acids) in humans — reviewView study →. So a whole-plant antioxidant effect, an isolated-CGA cell result, and a human oral dose are three different things — read each on its own terms.

Prevalence in Nature

Chlorogenic acid is one of the most abundant hydroxycinnamates in the human diet, occurring across many families but concentrated in a few: Rubiaceae (coffee), Asteraceae (artichoke, sunflower, chicory, burdock, yerba maté), Solanaceae (potato, eggplant) and Rosaceae (apple, pear, plum) 22,29Reference 22Alcázar Magaña A et al. · 2021ReviewCaffeoylquinic acids: chemistry, biosynthesis, occurrence, analytical challenges, and bioactivity — reviewView study →Reference 29Clifford MN · 1999Chlorogenic acids and other cinnamates — nature, occurrence and dietary burdenView study →. It rarely occurs alone — foods carry an isomer mixture of 3-, 4- and 5-CQA plus di-caffeoylquinic acids — and which isomer dominates is source-specific: coffee and artichoke are 5-CQA-rich, whereas prunes and other Prunus fruits are dominated by 3-CQA (neochlorogenic), so fruit “chlorogenic acid” figures are best read as total caffeoylquinic acids 22Reference 22Alcázar Magaña A et al. · 2021ReviewCaffeoylquinic acids: chemistry, biosynthesis, occurrence, analytical challenges, and bioactivity — reviewView study →.

Green (unroasted) coffee beans are by far the richest common source, at roughly 4–14% of dry weight (about 4–8% for arabica, up to ~10–14% for robusta) 22,29Reference 22Alcázar Magaña A et al. · 2021ReviewCaffeoylquinic acids: chemistry, biosynthesis, occurrence, analytical challenges, and bioactivity — reviewView study →Reference 29Clifford MN · 1999Chlorogenic acids and other cinnamates — nature, occurrence and dietary burdenView study →. Roasting destroys most of it — controlled HPLC work shows green coffee at ~5.4% falling to ~0.9% by dark roast, an ~83% loss, with 5-CQA the most heat-labile isomer 27,28Reference 27Awwad S et al. · 2021Quantification of caffeine and chlorogenic acid in green and roasted coffee samples using HPLC-DAD and evaluation of the effect of degree of roasting on their levelsView study →Reference 28Moon JK et al. · 2009Role of roasting conditions in the level of chlorogenic acid content in coffee beans — correlation with coffee acidityView study →. That is why supplements are made from green, not brewed, coffee. Two other concentrate-class sources rival coffee by dry weight but are consumed differently: yerba maté leaves (single-digit % dry weight, partly surviving toasting) 32Reference 32Lima Jde P et al. · 2016Distribution of major chlorogenic acids and related compounds in Brazilian green and toasted Ilex paraguariensis (maté) leavesView study → and sunflower seed kernels (~3 g/100 g, the seed’s dominant phenolic and the cause of sunflower-flour’s greenish tinge) 34Reference 34Weisz GM et al. · 2009Identification and quantification of phenolic compounds from sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) kernels and shells by HPLC-DAD/ESI-MSn (chlorogenic acid ~3 g/100 g, dominant phenolic)View study →. Among everyday whole foods (fresh weight) the leaders are globe artichoke and eggplant, then blueberry, prune, potato (mostly the peel) and apple (mostly the skin) — see the Content-by-Source chart 30,31,33Reference 30Mattila P et al. · 2006Phenolic acids in berries, fruits, and beveragesView study →Reference 31Šilarová P et al. · 2019Monitoring of chlorogenic acid and antioxidant capacity of Solanum melongena L. (eggplant) under different heat and storage treatmentsView study →Reference 33Cebulak T et al. · 2022Phenolic acid content and antioxidant properties of edible potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) with various tuber flesh coloursView study →.

Biosynthetically it is a phenylpropanoid end-product: phenylalanine is processed (via PAL / C4H / 4CL) to p-coumaroyl-CoA, and the HCT/HQT hydroxycinnamoyl transferases, with C3′H hydroxylation, esterify a caffeoyl group onto quinic acid to give chlorogenic acid 22Reference 22Alcázar Magaña A et al. · 2021ReviewCaffeoylquinic acids: chemistry, biosynthesis, occurrence, analytical challenges, and bioactivity — reviewView study →. It serves the plant as an antioxidant and defense metabolite — a radical scavenger and the polyphenol-oxidase substrate behind the browning of cut apple, potato and eggplant. There is essentially no non-plant source: animals and ordinary bacteria do not make it.

Discovery & Synthesis

The name is a chemistry pun that misleads twice over. “Chlorogenic” is from Greek chlōros (“pale green”) + -genos (“giving rise to”) — it describes a substance that turns green on oxidation (its ammoniacal solution greens in air), not a compound that is green, and despite the “chloro-” it contains no chlorine 26Reference 26Clifford MN et al. · 2017ReviewChlorogenic acids and the acyl-quinic acids: discovery, biosynthesis, bioavailability and bioactivity — review (naming, structure, 1976 IUPAC renumbering)View study →. The name is commonly attributed to Anselme Payen around 1846, with an earlier isolation of coffee’s acidic fraction credited to Robiquet and Boutron-Charlard (~1837); these attributions come from secondary reviews rather than a verifiable primary source, so treat the date and author as “commonly cited,” not settled 26Reference 26Clifford MN et al. · 2017ReviewChlorogenic acids and the acyl-quinic acids: discovery, biosynthesis, bioavailability and bioactivity — review (naming, structure, 1976 IUPAC renumbering)View study →. The structure — an ester of caffeic acid with a hydroxyl of L-quinic acid — was established in 1932 (Fischer) 26Reference 26Clifford MN et al. · 2017ReviewChlorogenic acids and the acyl-quinic acids: discovery, biosynthesis, bioavailability and bioactivity — review (naming, structure, 1976 IUPAC renumbering)View study →.

A nomenclature trap follows the molecule to this day: IUPAC reversed the quinic-acid ring numbering in 1976, so the compound older papers call “3-caffeoylquinic acid” is the same molecule modern usage calls 5-caffeoylquinic acid 26Reference 26Clifford MN et al. · 2017ReviewChlorogenic acids and the acyl-quinic acids: discovery, biosynthesis, bioavailability and bioactivity — review (naming, structure, 1976 IUPAC renumbering)View study →. Both conventions persist in the literature. Commercially, chlorogenic acid is not made by total synthesis — it is extracted and purified from green (unroasted) coffee beans, the richest practical source, which is why decaffeinated green-coffee extract is the standard raw material for standardized supplements 22Reference 22Alcázar Magaña A et al. · 2021ReviewCaffeoylquinic acids: chemistry, biosynthesis, occurrence, analytical challenges, and bioactivity — reviewView study →.

Patents: not yet researched (future patent-loop pass).

Toxicity & Safety

Chlorogenic acid and green-coffee extracts are generally well tolerated at supplement doses, with adverse effects that are mild and mostly gastrointestinal — nausea, abdominal discomfort, loose stools — plus occasional headache; the standardized-extract hypertension trial reported no serious adverse effects and normal safety labs 2,11Reference 2Watanabe T et al. · 2006RCTThe blood pressure-lowering effect and safety of chlorogenic acid from green coffee bean extract in essential hypertension — RCT (isolated chlorogenic acid, 140 mg/day)View study →Reference 11Onakpoya I et al. · 2011Meta-analysisThe use of green coffee extract as a weight loss supplement — systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials (trials high risk of bias)View study →. One genuine, human-demonstrated signal deserves flagging: high-dose chlorogenic acid raises plasma homocysteine. A controlled trial giving ~2 g of purified chlorogenic acid produced a modest but significant acute rise in total homocysteine (~10–12%), an effect shared with black-tea polyphenols and coherent with coffee’s known homocysteine-raising action 23Reference 23Olthof MR et al. · 2001Consumption of high doses of chlorogenic acid, present in coffee, or of black tea increases plasma total homocysteine concentrations in humansView study →. The dietary increment is small, but concentrated green-coffee supplements plausibly nudge homocysteine upward — relevant for anyone with hyperhomocysteinemia, low folate/B12, or established cardiovascular disease.

On interactions: the mild blood-pressure-lowering effect can be additive with antihypertensive drugs, so watch for hypotension 2Reference 2Watanabe T et al. · 2006RCTThe blood pressure-lowering effect and safety of chlorogenic acid from green coffee bean extract in essential hypertension — RCT (isolated chlorogenic acid, 140 mg/day)View study →; and many green-coffee products retain caffeine, which carries its own cardiovascular, sleep and interaction profile and can offset the BP effect — so a decaffeinated-versus-caffeinated distinction matters. The relevant allergy hazard is not the molecule but green (unroasted) coffee bean as an occupational allergen — green-coffee dust causes IgE-mediated sensitization, rhinitis and asthma in coffee-processing workers; roasting destroys the protein allergens, so this is an inhalational occupational issue, not a concern for consumers of roasted coffee or purified chlorogenic acid 24,25Reference 24Romano C et al. · 1995Factors related to the development of sensitisation to green coffee and castor bean allergens among coffee workersView study →Reference 25Thomas KE et al. · 1991Factors relating to the development of respiratory symptoms in coffee process workersView study →.

Dosage

Human blood-pressure trials have most often used 120–185 mg/day of chlorogenic acid — either as the purified compound or as a standardized green-coffee extract titrated to chlorogenic-acid content — and the effect appears dose-related within that range 1,2Reference 1Kozuma K et al. · 2005RCTAntihypertensive effect of green coffee bean extract on mildly hypertensive subjects — dose-response RCTView study →Reference 2Watanabe T et al. · 2006RCTThe blood pressure-lowering effect and safety of chlorogenic acid from green coffee bean extract in essential hypertension — RCT (isolated chlorogenic acid, 140 mg/day)View study →. With-food or divided dosing is common given the low, microbiome-dependent absorption.

ApplicationForm (studied)Dose (studied)Source
Blood pressureGreen coffee extract93–185 mg CGA/day1Reference 1Kozuma K et al. · 2005RCTAntihypertensive effect of green coffee bean extract on mildly hypertensive subjects — dose-response RCTView study →
Blood pressureIsolated chlorogenic acid140 mg/day2Reference 2Watanabe T et al. · 2006RCTThe blood pressure-lowering effect and safety of chlorogenic acid from green coffee bean extract in essential hypertension — RCT (isolated chlorogenic acid, 140 mg/day)View study →
Vascular function (acute)Pure 5-CQA450 mg single dose7Reference 7Mills CE et al. · 2017RCTMediation of coffee-induced improvements in human vascular function by chlorogenic acids and its metabolites — two randomised, controlled, crossover trials (incl. pure 5-CQA arm)View study →

These are doses used in research and are not a personal recommendation — appropriateness depends on the individual, their medications (see interactions above) and professional guidance. Note that “green coffee extract” products vary widely in chlorogenic-acid standardization and caffeine content, and are not interchangeable with the pure isolate.

References

  1. Kozuma K, Tsuchiya S, Kohori J, Hase T, Tokimitsu I. (2005). Antihypertensive effect of green coffee bean extract on mildly hypertensive subjects — dose-response RCT. Hypertension Research, 28(9), 711–718. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16419643/
  2. Watanabe T, Arai Y, Mitsui Y, Kusaura T, Okawa W, Kajihara Y, Saito I. (2006). The blood pressure-lowering effect and safety of chlorogenic acid from green coffee bean extract in essential hypertension — RCT (isolated chlorogenic acid, 140 mg/day). Clinical and Experimental Hypertension, 28(5), 439–449. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16820341/
  3. Onakpoya IJ, Spencer EA, Thompson MJ, Heneghan CJ. (2015). The effect of chlorogenic acid on blood pressure — systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials (5 RCTs, n=364). Journal of Human Hypertension, 29(2), 77–81. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24943289/
  4. Han B, Nazary-Vannani A, Talaei S, et al. (2019). The effect of green coffee extract supplementation on blood pressure — systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Phytotherapy Research, 33(11), 2918–2926. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31429515/
  5. Samavat S, Ashtary-Larky D, Naeini F, et al. (2024). The effects of green coffee bean extract on blood pressure and heart rate — systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome, 18(9), 103123. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39368321/
  6. Mubarak A, Bondonno CP, Liu AH, et al. (2012). Acute effects of chlorogenic acid on nitric oxide status, endothelial function, and blood pressure in healthy volunteers — randomised trial (pure chlorogenic acid). Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 60(36), 9130–9136. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22900702/
  7. Mills CE, Flury A, Marmet C, et al. (2017). Mediation of coffee-induced improvements in human vascular function by chlorogenic acids and its metabolites — two randomised, controlled, crossover trials (incl. pure 5-CQA arm). Clinical Nutrition, 36(6), 1520–1529. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28012692/
  8. Naylor LH, Zimmermann D, Guitard-Uldry M, et al. (2021). Acute dose-response effect of coffee-derived chlorogenic acids on the human vasculature in healthy volunteers — randomised controlled trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 113(2), 370–380. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33330899/
  9. Nikpayam O, Najafi M, Ghaffari S, et al. (2019). Effects of green coffee extract on fasting blood glucose, insulin concentration and HOMA-IR — systematic review and meta-analysis of interventional studies. Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome, 11, 91. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31709016/
  10. Pourmasoumi M, Hadi A, Marx W, et al. (2021). The effect of green coffee bean extract on cardiovascular risk factors — systematic review and meta-analysis. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 1328, 323–345. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34981487/
  11. Onakpoya I, Terry R, Ernst E. (2011). The use of green coffee extract as a weight loss supplement — systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials (trials high risk of bias). Gastroenterology Research and Practice, 2011, 382852. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20871849/
  12. Vinson JA, Burnham BR, Nagendran MV. (2012). RETRACTED: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, linear dose, crossover study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a green coffee bean extract in overweight subjects. Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity, 5, 21–27. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22291473/ — do not cite as evidence; see [13].
  13. Retraction notice (2014). Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, linear dose, crossover study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a green coffee bean extract in overweight subjects. Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity, 7, 467. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25340633/
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