Green Tea for Weight Loss?

Taking green tea has exploded in popularity in the past 5 years. It offers significant benefits like increased energy, antioxidant protection, and appetite suppression, but can it help you lose weight?

Below you can find information on it's benefits, and how it could be an ally in achieving your diet and exercise goals.

Overall Benefits

Tea has been used in China, Japan, and India for thousands of years. Its health benefits have been documented in over 2,000 different studies, with over 400 studies done in 2004 alone.

For dieters, green tea's major benefits are increased metabolism, regulating glucose and triglyceride levels.

Its 3 major components that aid in weight loss are:

1. catechins
2. caffeine
3. and theanine

Chief among these factors is the catechin EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate).

Scientists believe EGCG as an anti-oxidant, could be as much as 200 times more powerful than vitamin E.

It also promotes fat loss, but specifically, abdominal fat loss (visceral fat loss). Studies show that it does this by inhibiting gastric and pancreatic enzymes which convert dietary fats into the fats that can be stored in your body's fat cells.

Scientific Proof?

In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Jan. 2005; 81: 122 - 129), 38 normal-to-overweight men had a significantly lower body weight, BMI, waist circumference, body fat mass and amount of fat compared to men given a bottle of oolong tea.

How Much Do You Need?

Scientists believe (and studies confirm) that having 4 cups of green tea a day will give you the desired results of:

• Increased energy
• Appetite suppression
• Decreased glucose sensitivity (decreased "cookie monster" cravings )
• and Decreased Abdominal fat

In addition, it is also thought to improve exercise performance. In a 10 week study, rats were supplemented daily.

The result was a 24% increase in the amount of time the rats could swim before fatiguing. Scientists believe that the catechins are the reason for the endurance increase. The catechins enable the muscle and liver cells to more easily use fatty acids as fuel, while sparing glycogen stores.

In Conclusion

Green tea is a healthy alternative to coffee. It's ability to stimulate energy and fat burning, while being a powerful anti-oxidant makes it a supplement worth giving a try.

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