Green tea has gained wide attention around the world when it comes to weight loss, making it the second most popular drink, after water.
Due to its nutritional and antioxidant value, green tea has been linked to several health benefits, including weight loss. It has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine to treat various health conditions.
Interestingly, green tea can increase fat burning and help you lose weight .
This explains the fact that green tea is one of the essential ingredients for fat burners .
This article reviews the evidence surrounding green tea and weight loss .
Green tea can help you lose weight
Several studies have suggested that the flavonoids and caffeine in green tea can help elevate metabolic rate, increase fat oxidation, and even improve insulin activity.
One study showed that those who consumed green tea and caffeine lost an average of 3 pounds over a 12-week period, while sticking to their normal diet. Another study suggested that the increase in calorie production equaled about 100 calories over a 24-hour period.
You don't need to drink a lot of green tea to help you lose weight.
Although weight loss benefits vary based on different dynamics, they have been found by drinking as little as 2.5 cups of green tea per day.
Contains substances that can help you lose fat
Tea leaves contain many beneficial compounds.
One of the compounds in green tea is caffeine. Although a cup of green tea contains much less caffeine (24-40 mg) than a cup of coffee (100-200 mg), it still contains enough to have a mild effect.
Caffeine is a stimulating well known which has been found to help burn fat and improve exercise performance in numerous studies .
However, green tea really stands out in its antioxidant content . Studies show that drinking a cup of green tea increases the amount of antioxidants in your bloodstream .
This healthy drink is loaded with powerful antioxidants called catechins .
The most important of these is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a substance that can boost metabolism.
Although a cup of green tea can boost your antioxidant levels, most studies have looked at the benefits of green tea extract – which is a concentrated source of catechins.
Can mobilize fat from fat cells
To burn fat , your body must first break it down into fat cells and move it through your bloodstream.
Animal studies suggest that the active compounds in green tea may aid this process by increasing the effects of certain fat-burning hormones, such as norepinephrine.
The main antioxidant in tea, EGCG, may help inhibit an enzyme that breaks down the hormone norepinephrine .
When this enzyme is inhibited, the amount of norepinephrine increases, promoting fat breakdown .
In fact, the caffeine and EGCG – both of which occur naturally in green tea – may have a synergistic effect .
Ultimately, your fat cell breaks down more fat, which is released into your bloodstream to be used as energy by cells like muscle cells.
Increases fat burning, especially during exercise
If you look at the label of almost every supplements weight loss commercials and fat burning , you'll probably see green tea as an ingredient.
In fact, green tea extract has been repeatedly linked to increased fat burning , especially during exercise.
In one study, men who took green tea extract before exercise burned 17% more fat than men who didn't take the supplement. The study suggests that green tea may increase the fat-burning effects of exercise .
An eight-week study determined that tea catechins increased fat burning , both during exercise and rest .
Several other studies support these findings, indicating that EGCG stimulates fat burning – which can lead to long-term body fat reduction .
Increases your metabolic rate
Your body is constantly burning calories.
Even when you sleep or sit, your cells perform millions of functions that require energy.
Several studies suggest that taking green tea extract or EGCG supplements can cause you to burn more calories — even at rest.
In most studies, this represents an increase of around 3-4%, although some show an increase of up to 8% .
For someone who burns 2,000 calories a day, 3-4% equals an additional 60-80 calories expended per day, which is similar to what you might expect from a high protein diet .
Although most of these studies were of very short duration, some evidence suggests that the stimulatory effect the metabolism persists in the long term .
In a study of 60 obese people, those who took green tea extract lost 3.3 kg more and burned 183 more calories per day after three months than those who did not .
However, not all studies show that green tea extract boosts metabolism. The effect may depend on the individual .
Can it make you consume fewer calories automatically?
Green tea may aid weight loss by reducing appetite.
This would theoretically make you consume fewer calories automatically - and effortlessly.
However, studies have produced conflicting results on the effects of green tea on appetite .
Some animal studies suggest that green tea extracts or EGCG supplements may reduce the amount of fat you absorb from food, but this has not been confirmed in humans .
Overall, the main effect of green tea is to increase calorie expenditure, causing you to burn more fat - but it doesn't seem to have a noticeable effect on how much food you end up eating throughout. throughout the day.
Green tea can help you lose fat, especially harmful abdominal fat
In terms of actual pounds lost, the effects of green tea are relatively modest.
Although many studies show that people lose in fact weight, there are also studies that show no effect.
Two reviews of numerous controlled trials of green tea supplements found that people lost about 3 pounds on average .
Keep in mind that not all fats are the same.
Subcutaneous fat lodges under your skin, but you may also have significant amounts of visceral fat, also known as abdominal fat.
High amounts of visceral fat are associated with inflammation and insulin resistance, both of which are strongly linked to several serious diseases, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Several studies of green tea catechins show that although the weight loss effects are modest, a significant percentage of the fat lost is harmful visceral fat .
Therefore, green tea should reduce the risk of many serious long-term diseases, which can lead to longer and healthier life .
In conclusion
Although green tea extract or EGCG supplements may cause an increase in metabolic rate and fat burning , its effects are modest in terms of pounds lost.
However, every little bit adds up, and it can work even better when combined with other effective weight loss strategies like eat more protein and reduce carbs .
Of course, remember that the benefits of green tea go beyond weight loss. It is also healthy for various other reasons.
Keep in mind that most studies have looked at green tea extracts or supplements containing isolated green tea antioxidants.
In comparison, the effects of green tea consumption are likely minimal, although regular intake may have long-term benefits.
