What is green tea?
Green tea is made from the same plant as black tea, but it is not processed. This makes it have a different color and flavor.
Green tea weight loss claims
Green tea is healthy, there is no doubt about it. You can't really go wrong with just leaves and water. However, it is much more than that. Green tea is considered one of the healthiest drinks on the planet because it is loaded with antioxidants and other helpful plant compounds that offer many potential health benefits, one of which is weight loss.
How to lose weight with green tea
Green tea has been shown to boost metabolism and fat burning. A study showed that those who took green tea lost more weight than those who didn’t. Green tea is a great tool to help with weight loss. It has been shown to boost metabolism and fat burning. A study showed that those who took green tea lost more weight than those who didn’t, so it is definitely worth incorporating into your weight loss plan.
It’s what’s inside that counts: fat-burning compounds.
Green tea is naturally rich in some really beneficial compounds for our bodies, the main two being:
- Caffeine
- Antioxidants
Caffeine & weight loss
Instead of reaching for a cup of coffee in the morning, some of us could benefit from reaching for a cup of green tea. Though green tea has less caffeine than coffee on average, this just means that one could drink more cups of green tea to get the desired caffeine boost.
Caffeine is known to help burn body fat and improve exercise performance. This makes it a great addition to fat-burning and pre-workout supplements.
Antioxidants & weight loss
High levels of oxidative stress have been linked to a number of chronic diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.5 Antioxidants are plant compounds that help us fight against “free radicals,” which are particles that increase oxidative stress in our bodies. Green tea, which is minimally processed, contains more antioxidants than black tea and, as a result, has more health benefits. High levels of oxidative stress have been linked to a number of chronic diseases, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease.
A 2004 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition wrote that “inging catechins causes thermogenesis,” or heat generation in the body. 30% of dry weight of green tea is made up of a group of antioxidants called polyphenols, most of which are flavonols known as catechins. Scientists are increasingly interested in catechins' ability to aid fat loss, as evidenced by a 2004 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition which found that “green tea catechins cause thermogenesis.”
Catechins in tea can also act as gut microbiota modulators which can reduce gut inflammation and help in the management of obesity. Tea catechins seem to have anti-obesity effects for a number of reasons. Recent findings from human studies suggest that consuming green tea or green tea extracts may help reduce body weight and fat by increasing our bodies' metabolism and fat oxidation. Additionally, catechins in tea can act as gut microbiota modulators, reducing gut inflammation and helping in the management of obesity.
A study of obese males found that EGCG can increase fat oxidisation in humans. Those given 300mg of EGCG for two days had increased fat oxidisation than those given a placebo.
Summary
- Green tea contains high levels of caffeine and antioxidants, both of which could help burn fat
- Caffeine is a stimulant that helps with fat burning, energy and exercise performance
- Green tea is full of the antioxidants EGCCs, which appear to have anti-obesity effects
Gets fat cells moving
Our bodies will turn to fat cells for fuel when we do not consume enough calories to maintain our weight.
In order to break down and burn fat, our bodies need to release fat-burning hormones like norepinephrine into the bloodstream.
Green tea contains a powerful antioxidant called EGCG, which can help preserve healthy levels of norepinephrine. This, in turn, allows the body to break down more fat for energy. So, the more EGCG there is, the more norepinephrine and fat breakdown you can expect.
Summary
- EGCE in green tea can help the body break down more fat by increasing norepinephrine
Green tea metabolism benefits
It involves the breaking down of food, the production of energy, and the removal of waste. Metabolism is all of the chemical processes that your body does to keep you alive. It includes breaking down food, making energy, and getting rid of waste.
When you are trying to lose weight, it is even more important to make sure your body is getting the right amount of energy. This is because your body needs energy to do all of its normal functions, and this amount of energy is determined by many factors. Some of these factors include your height, weight, age, how active you are during the day, and how much muscle you have. If you give your body fewer calories than it needs, it will take energy from your fat cells instead. This is how you lose fat.
However, keep in mind that the effects appear to be dose-dependent, which means that the more you take, the more your metabolism will speed up Green tea and EGCG supplements have been shown in several studies to help increase metabolism, resulting in the burning of more calories, even when at rest.8,9,10 The effects appear to be dose-dependent, meaning that the more of the supplement you take, the greater the impact on metabolism.
That means that, on average, if you burn 1800 calories a day and drink or supplement with green tea, you could raise your metabolism by 3-4%, causing your body to burn an extra 54-72 calories a day.
Drinking coffee is likely to raise your metabolism too due to its caffeine content, making it similar to drinking green tea. However, some research has suggested that green tea has additional properties thatinfluence metabolism – it is not just caffeine doing all the hard work.
The study found that green tea catechin extract + caffeine increased energy expenditure and fat burning, whereas the groups given just caffeine, or a placebo experienced no significant changes.
Summary
- Green tea and EGCG supplements can help increase your metabolism, causing your body to burn more calories
Targets the most dangerous body fat
This deep abdominal fat, also known as visceral fat, is most often found in people who are obese. The vast majority of us are primarily concerned with the fat that we can see and that we want to lose when we think about body fat. However, some fat is located deep within our bodies, surrounding some of our internal organs. This deep abdominal fat, called visceral fat, is most commonly found in obese people.
This “hidden” fat is called visceral fat or belly fat. It's normal and healthy to carry some of this fat as it protects our organs, but it can be dangerous to have too much. High amounts of visceral fat put you at a higher risk of developing conditions like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
drin Some studies have shown that drinking green tea may help to target visceral fat. This means you may not see fat loss from the areas you want from drinking green tea, but it may help to reduce this dangerous ‘hidden’ fat.
-week study on Chinese adults with a high proportion of abdominal visceral fat found that those who drank green tea every day experienced greater visceral fat loss than the other group who were given a placebo.
Summary
- Green tea may help target visceral fat – the type that puts you at risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease
Contains Substances That Can Help You Lose Fat
Tea leaves contain many beneficial compounds.
Green tea contains a compound called caffeine. Although it has less caffeine than coffee (24-40 mg compared to 100-200 mg), there is still enough to produce a mild effect.
Caffeine is a stimulant that has many benefits like fat burning and improved exercise performance, according to numerous studies.
These antioxidants help protect every system in your body. Green tea is especially good for you because of its high antioxidant content. Studies have shown that drinking a cup of green tea increases the amount of antioxidants in your bloodstream. These antioxidants help protect every system in your body.
This healthy beverage is loaded with potent antioxidants called catechins (4). These chemicals have been shown to have numerous health benefits, including protection against heart disease and cancer (5, 6). This healthy beverage is rich in potent antioxidants called catechins (4). These chemicals have been shown in numerous studies to have health benefits, including protection against heart disease and cancer (5, 6).
EGCG is the most important of these substances because it can boost metabolism.
One study found that taking green tea extract 3 times a day for 12 weeks lowered blood sugar by 8.5% in people with diabetes. Although one cup of green tea raises your antioxidant levels, most studies have examined the benefits of green tea extract, which is a concentrated source of catechins. One study found that taking green tea extract three times a day for twelve weeks lowered blood sugar by 8.5% in people with diabetes.
For your body to burn fat, it must first break down the fat in the cell and move it into your bloodstream.
Studies done on animals suggest that the active compounds in green tea can help with weight loss by increasing the effects of some fat-burning hormones, such as norepinephrine (noradrenaline).
The main antioxidant in tea, EGCG, can help keep norepinephrine from breaking down.
This enzyme promotes fat breakdown by increasing the amount of norepinephrine.
Caffeine and EGCG work together to have a stronger effect.
Your fat cells break down fat, which is then used as energy by other cells in your body.
Increases Fat Burning, Especially During Exercise
Several studies have found that the catechins in green tea boost metabolism and increase fat burning. One study showed that men who took catechins burned more calories than those who didn’t. Almost every commercial weight loss and fat-burning supplement includes green tea as an ingredient. This is because the catechins in green tea have been shown to boost metabolism and increase fat burning, based on several studies. For example, one study showed that men who took catechins burned more calories than those who didn’t.
Green tea extract has been shown to boost fat burning, especially during exercise.
Study findings suggest that men who take green tea extract before exercise may burn up to 17% more fat than those who do not take the supplement.
A study that lasted eight weeks discovered that tea catechins enhanced fat burning, both while a person is exercising and while they are resting.
These findings indicate that EGCG boosts the burning of fat, which may lead to reduced body fat over time.
Boosts Your Metabolic Rate
Your body is constantly burning calories.
Your cells are always working, even when you're resting. They use energy to perform millions of functions.
There are several studies that suggest that taking green tea extract or EGCG supplements can help you burn more calories – even when you are at rest.
In most studies, this has been shown to amount to about a 3-4% increase, although some studies show an increase as high as 8%.
A person who burns 2000 calories a day will use up an extra 60 to 80 calories a day if they eat a high protein diet.
Some evidence suggests that the metabolism-boosting effect of these studies persists in the long term, even though most of them were very short in duration.
The study showed that those who took green tea extract lost 7.3 more pounds and burned 183 more calories per day than those who did not take the extract.
Some studies have found that green tea extract increases metabolism, while others have not. The effect may depend on the individual.
SUMMARY
Several studies suggest that green tea can help people burn calories.
Can It Automatically Make You Consume Fewer Calories?
Green tea may help with weight loss by suppressing appetite.
If this theory is correct, it would mean that you could eat fewer calories without having to put any effort into it.
However, studies on the effects of green tea on appetite produced conflicting results (19).
Although animal studies have found that green tea supplements may help to reduce the amount of fat you absorb from foods, there is no confirmation that this is the case in humans.
Overall, green tea's primary effect is to boost metabolism and burn more fat. There is no noticeable effect on how much food you eat throughout the day.
SUMMARY
Although green tea has been touted for its weight loss benefits, there is no scientific evidence to support these claims. Some animal studies suggest that green tea may help reduce the absorption of fat from the diet, but human studies have not confirmed these findings.
Green Tea Can Help You Lose Fat, Especially Harmful Abdominal Fat
Green tea's effects on weight loss are not very significant.
Some studies show that people lose weight while others show no effect.
Two reviews of many controlled trials found that on average, people lost about 3 pounds (1.3 kg) when taking green tea supplements.
Not all types of fat are equal.
Subcutaneous fat is the type of fat that sits under your skin. You may also have a lot of visceral fat, which is commonly known as belly fat.
Visceral fat that builds up in the stomach area is linked with inflammation and insulin resistance, which are both tied to several diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Although green tea catechins lead to only modest weight loss, a significant percentage of the fat lost is from visceral fat, which is harmful.
Green tea has been linked with a reduced risk of many diseases, including cancer, heart disease, and stroke. These benefits may be due to the fact that green tea contains high levels of antioxidants.
SUMMARY
Substances found in green tea extract, known as catechins, may help promote weight loss by increasing the amount of energy the body uses and by reducing fat absorption.
The Bottom Line:
Even though green tea extract or EGCG supplements can increase your metabolic rate and help you burn fat, they will only have a small effect on the amount of weight you lose.
Even though losing weight may seem like a slow process, every little bit of weight lost adds up. In addition, other weight loss strategies like eating more protein and cutting carbs may help speed up the process.
In addition to promoting weight loss, green tea has many other health benefits.
While most studies have looked at green tea extracts or supplements that contain isolated green tea antioxidants, it is important to keep in mind that this may not be representative of what people would normally consume.
The effects of drinking green tea are not as significant as those of coffee, but regular consumption of green tea may have some long-term benefits.
