That is why green tea and green tea extract is becoming more popular as a weight loss supplement. It is all natural, safe and has a good track record in regard to weight loss. Read on to find out why so many people are drinking up to slim down! If you are a tea lover, you have no reasons to miss the following treats: How To Enjoy Green Tea By Reducing Caffeine In It How To Improve Your Health With Matcha Green Tea 11 Benefits of Green Tea That You Didn’t Know About
Caffeine and Catechins: a Winning Combination
The reason that green tea can help with weight loss is that it combines the unique properties of two important active ingredients, caffeine and catechins. Green tea contains 24-40 mg of caffeine per cup (a fraction of the typical cup of coffee), but it is enough to have a mildly stimulating effect. Many studies have shown that caffeine not only helps to increase energy levels, it also can also burn fat and even increase the number of calories that you burn (to the tune of around 9 calories for every 100mg that you drink). While this probably doesn’t sound like a lot, it can add up over time. Catechins are also an important part of the make-up of green tea. They are potent, antioxidants compounds, the best-known of which is called epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG. This compound acts to increase the amount of a hormone called norepinephrine, which help stimulate fat cells to burn fat. This increase in norepinephrine, then, leads to an increase in that breakdown of fat, which many researchers believe the it might also work better in the presence of the caffeine.
An Overview of Green Tea Weight Loss Studies
There are several studies showing the positive results of the use of green tea:
In one 8-week study, it was shown that participants who drank green tea regularly burned 17% more fat during exercise than those who did not. A study on a small group of men found that green tea consumption help them to increase fat burning both during activities and at while at rest. A review of studies on green tea extract and calorie burning found that it can increase the amount of calories burned from between 3% and 8%. In a study of 60 obese patients, it was found that use of green tea extract lead to an average weight loss of 7.3 pounds by the end of the 3 month study and resulted in the burning of around 183 more calories a day. While many studies have shown green tea results in mostly modest weight loss, much of this weight loss is targeted at visceral fat, which builds up around the organs. Losing visceral fat can reduce the chances of conditions like diabetes and heart disease. Several studies have shown that green tea can help to decrease the appetite, making it easier to eat fewer calories without suffering from hunger pains.
What You Should Know about Green Tea
There are a few things to keep in mind, though, in regard to green tea and weight loss. Firstly, drinking green tea by itself is not likely to help you lose weight and it should be considered to be a replacement for good eating or exercise. Rather, it should be seen as a great addition to an overall healthy lifestyle. You will need to drink 2-3 cups a day of green tea in order to harvest its full benefits. Make sure not to add cream or sugar to it, as this will add to your overall calorie intake and impede your weight loss efforts. Keep in mind that green tea will not just help you to lose weight — it has an array of other health benefits as well. It has been linked to a reduction in heart disease, diabetes and several different kinds of cancer. So drink up! While green tea is not a silver bullet, it can help you to burn calories and fat and is a great addition to an otherwise health-conscious lifestyle and can help to make your weight loss goals easier to achieve. Featured photo credit: 5 second Studio via shutterstock.com
