The Goods on Green Tea at Her Active Life

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The Goods on Green Tea

Posted September 6, 2007 at 05:00 PM by Katie Drummond

Section: Her Health, Her Nutrition, Diet Myths, Healthy Eating

Woman With Mug There’s recently been a LOT in the weight loss news concerning green tea.

The apparent weight loss effects of green tea have been causing more and more people to start sipping the ancient Japanese brew.

But just how does green tea help you lose weight? And does it really work, or is it all just hype? This article gives you the real facts about drinking green tea to lose weight.

Advantages of Drinking Green Tea:

1) Green tea revs up your metabolism

A study reported on in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that green tea extract resulted in a significant increase in energy expenditure (a metabolism ‘boost’).

The researchers also concluded that that over a 24-hour period, green tea extract increases the metabolic rate by 4%. These effects are probably due to the high concentrations of catechin polyphenols found in green tea. These work to help intensify levels of fat oxidation and thermogenesis (the rate at which your body burns calories).

2) Green tea inhibits fat absorption and helps glucose regulation

Experts tell us that the catechins in green tea help to inhibit the movement of glucose into fat cells. Green tea may also act as al glucose regulator. It helps to slow the rise in blood sugar after a meal. This prevents high insulin spikes (lots of insulin promotes fat storage) and the subsequent fat storage.

3) Green tea may help reduce appetite

Scientists at the University of Chicago found that green tea caused rats to lose up to 21 percent of their body weight. Rats injected with a green tea extract lost their appetites and consumed up to 60 percent less food after seven days of daily injections. This may have something to do with the blood sugar regulating effects of green tea.

4) Green tea can help you save calories on your morning brew

We are a nation hooked on our java. Be it the regular double-cream, double-sugar standard or that mocha, dappa, frappucinno, the calories we ingest just to get our morning caffeine is wreaking havoc on our waistlines.

If you want to save mega-calories in the morning but still get your caffeine fix, try substituting green tea for coffee. Or have a green tea in the afternoon instead of that 700 calorie mocha-chillate dream. You’ll definitely notice the difference in your waistline after a few weeks.

So there are 4 ways that green tea can help you with weight loss. But how much do you actually have to drink to get these amazing metabolism boosting effects?

Experts vary but the general consensus seems to be that 3 - 5 cups of green tea per day is optimal. Doing this can help you burn an extra 70 calories per day, which amounts to 7 pounds per year. Pretty good for not exercising or cutting calories, right?

Disadvantages of Drinking Green Tea For Weight Loss:

1) Green tea is not a magic bullet

While some people will tell you that green tea is the be-all-end-all for weight loss success, the keyword here is balance. You’re not going to eat 5000 calories a day, drink a cup of green tea and make it all go away - it just isn’t going to happen. A healthy diet and increased exercise will go a long way in helping you lose weight and keep it off.

2) Be cautious of the caffeine if you have health problems

For some people that have heart troubles, high blood pressure or stimulant sensitivities, the caffeine in green tea may not be the best idea. If you’re worried about the caffeine from green tea, try taking green tea extract. Most green tea extract is made from decaffeinated green tea so you can still get the weight loss benefits without the caffeine.

If you think the caffeine may be a problem, make sure to consult your doctor before starting green tea for weight loss. Also make sure to consult your doctor before starting green tea if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Bottom Line: Green tea helps you with weight loss by boosting your metabolic rate, regulating your blood sugar, suppressing your appetite and giving you something else besides that high calorie, high sugar coffee beverage to drink in the morning. While it’s not the magic bullet, it can definitely give you a boost in weight loss and in your overall health!

Courtesy of Know Your Health

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18 Responses to “The Goods on Green Tea” (Leave a reply)

swag said:

People are making themselves more sick over their obsession over their tea and coffee drinking than from any actual drinking of the stuff. Humans have safely consumed tea and coffee for centuries—far long than any modern echinacea blend with an “immunity boost” that most health stores would try to sell you.

Health isn’t nearly as difficult as many make it out to be. If humans have been safely consuming it for centuries, it’s probably just fine. If it’s some new-fangled gimmick with a health claim, chances are we have no idea—and it’s best to avoid it.
September 7, 2007 at 12:22 AM
Jerry from Denver said:

I have drank Oolong tea for years and I believe that combined with diet and exercise the oolong tea helps me to avoid the sodas and other beverages that have a lot of calories. I usually buy Milk Oolong at http://www.tealaden.com at http://www.tealaden.com or Tung Ting Oolong because of the lingering sweetness of the tea. Both of these are Wu Yi Oolongs from the high mountain region. I think this is the best region for oolongs and I know that both of these are very good.
September 11, 2007 at 03:22 PM
green tea said:

White tea is another great tea for your health. I think it’s actually the same leaf as green tea, just not dried. One thing to know is that the lighter the color of the tea, the better it is for you, and I’m not making that up. (Green tea and white tea are both pretty light)
March 27, 2008 at 11:42 PM
black tea benefits said:

Great article. It is starting to show that most teas have health benefits. I was always a big coffee drinker, but I made the switch the tea for all the good it does.
October 14, 2008 at 05:05 PM
Oolong tea lover said:

I drink oolong tea for a month and I already lost 10 pounds..

Is there a valid research which tea that is best for you?

white? green? oolong? or black?
December 6, 2008 at 09:46 AM
Chicago Attorney said:

Thanks for this wonderful post. I have really learned a lot of Trivia. Green Tea has powerful anti oxidants and that we can get a lot of health benefits from it including weight loss.
January 18, 2009 at 03:03 AM
loose leaf said:

Its true that green tea cant do any magic in weight loss, but its true that if you take 5 to 6 cups green tea daily, you will notice sweating, and your skin will start to feel coated.
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This post is really a good one in respect of health issues and general awareness. thanks for the information.
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Depression Treatment from Texas said:

I think green tea is very good for depression treatment as well.

I try to my sister about the green tea, and the result is very good.

Thank also to this sharing.

Regards,
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