Takeaways
• Green tea benefits are associated with anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties
• A combination of two active ingredients caffeine and catechins has thermogenic properties
• A synergistic interaction between caffeine and catechins is a key to speed up metabolism
• Green tea can promote a weight loss in overweight adults with a variety of health problems
In recent years, scientific studies have shown many green tea benefits for weight loss and overall health. The benefits are particularly associated with an antioxidant property of polyphenols. The long list of the green tea benefits includes the prevention of diseases related to activities of free radicals such as cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.
Type of polyphenols - catechins help to reduce blood cholesterol and high blood pressure, boost metabolic rate, and provide antibacterial effects. Besides polyphenols, green tea contains L-Theanine, caffeine, vitamins, and minerals. The amino-acid L-Theanine promotes stress relieves and calmness, reduces high blood pressure, improves concentration and attention. Caffeine acts as a stimulant for a central nervous system.
Green tea is often used as the main ingredient in weight loss supplements. However, habitual green tea drinkers receive the same amount of biologically active compounds without possible side effects of supplements. Four to five cups a day can help burn 70-100 calories daily.
Creating even small deficit calories would make up to 7-10 lb (3-5 kg) a body fat loss a year. Research indicates that the benefits of green tea consumptions become even more impressive if it is combined with exercises.
Green Tea Boost Metabolism
A combination of two active ingredients caffeine and catechins (mostly EGCG) has thermogenic properties. A synergistic interaction between those compounds is a key to speed up metabolism and increase energy expenditure.
According to International Journal of Obesity, “a green tea extract stimulates brown adipose tissue thermogenesis to an extent which is much greater than can be attributed to its caffeine content per se, and that its thermogenic properties could reside primarily in an interaction between its high content in catechin-polyphenols and caffeine with sympathetically released noradrenaline...a synergistic interaction between catechin-polyphenols and caffeine to augment and prolong sympathetic stimulation of thermogenesis could be of a value in assisting the management of obesity".
Green Tea Increase Fat Burning Process
A caffeine compound of green tea may help in a fat burning process promoting the fat oxidation. Different studies demonstrated that green tea consumption, combined with resistance training is effective in decreasing body fat and waist circumference, reducing triglyceride levels, increasing lean body mass, and muscle strength.
Habitual green tea consumption is associated with 19.6% reduction in body fat and 2.1% reduction in waist/hip ratio compared with non-habitual tea drinkers (The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition). Scientific research demonstrated that this effect is true in both sedentary and physically active individuals during at rest and moderately intense exercise.
US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health reported that "catechin-rich green tea in combination with inulin affects a reduction of body weight and fat mass in obese and overweight adults.
Green Tea Improves Glucose Metabolism and Limits Fat Absorption
Green tea components inhibit intestinal glucose uptake and limiting fat absorption in the small intestine.
The scientific research has demonstrated that epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) compound reduce blood sugar levels after eating a high carbohydrate meal by blocking an enzyme that breaks down carbs into simple sugar. So that EGCG inhibits glucose molecules move into fat cells, stabilize glucose levels after a meal, all those prevent insulin spikes and prevent the creation of body fat.
Another study has found that EGCG may slow weight gaining by partially inhibiting fat absorption in the small intestine. It was suggested that catechins inhibit enzyme pancreatic lipase that is responsible for fat metabolism.
Green tea can promote a weight loss in obese and overweight adults with a variety of health problems. The study that conducted among patients with type 2 diabetes reported that after a two-month period, consumption of four cups caused a decrease in body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, and systolic blood pressure.
Reduce Appetite
Since green tea contains caffeine, it may help to suppress appetite. EGCG compound regulates blood sugar level, preventing insulin spikes and reduce appetite.
Best Green Tea for Weight Loss
Unfermented and lightly processed green tea allows retaining high levels beneficial tea ingredients including polyphenols (EGCG or other catechins).
| Loose Leaves Green Tea
During tea brewing, loose leaves efficiently move through the hot water, swell and release maximum beneficial compounds.
- Tips to Choose Green Tea – For Quality and Health Benefits
- Proven Green Tea Benefits – Interesting Facts to Know
| Matcha Green Tea
Matcha is Japanese shade-grown green tea. The Tencha leaves are hand-picked, steamed, air dried, de-stemmed and slow-ground on granite wheels.
The health benefits of Matcha exceed all other green teas because tea drinkers ingest not only brewed water but the whole leaves (fiber and chlorophyll). Also, Matcha green tea contains more antioxidants, caffeine, and amino acids than other types of green tea. Studies have found that Matcha tea helps burn fat 4x faster than regular green tea without any negative side effects.
- Ewa Jówko. "Green Tea Catechins and Sport Performance". 2015. NCBI Yang HY et al.
- "Beneficial effects of catechin-rich green tea and inulin on the body composition of overweight adults." 2012.
- NCBI The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Abdul G Dulloo et al.
- "Efficacy of a green tea extract rich in catechin polyphenols and caffeine in increasing 24-h energy expenditure and fat oxidation in humans". 2000. International Journal of Obesity.