Does Green Tea Help You Lose Weight?

Does Green Tea Help You Lose Weight?

The publicity green tea recently received from the likes of Oprah and Victoria Beckham has made us all wonder, does it actually help shed those pounds or is it merely just hype? Can  you really lose weight drinking tea? For us to answer this question we will have to turn to science so we can investigate workings of tea to see how it interacts with your body to promote weight loss. And also reveal how much weight it will help you lose.

The weight loss power green tea possess comes from the inside of the tea leaves. Inside the leaves of green tea are three synergistic chemicals that burn fat and suppress appetite at the same time. These chemicals are all natural and safe. Unlike coffee you don have to experience the harsh side effects of its stimulant properties. Anyways, the chemicals are caffeine, L-theanine(El–tee-a-neen) and ECGC.

How these chemicals work together to burn fat and suppress your appetite.

Caffeine in tea. Caffeine is a natural chemical found in over sixty different plant species ranging from tea to cocoa leaves. And it has shown to be a good energy booster meaning you will have more energy throughout the day. Also, it has thermogenic properties which increase your bodies metabolism. And the more increase in your metabolism the more calories you burn.  As a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 1989 concluded that “caffeine at commonly consumed doses can have a significant influence on energy balance and may promote thermogenesis in the treatment
of obesity.” It is also important to realize that the level of caffeine in tea is in the healthy range. To put it in perspective coffee has about 3x the amount of caffeine.

What is L-theanine?

L-theanine is the wonderful weight loss complement to the caffeine in green tea because it neutralizes the adverse side effects of caffeine. You see, although caffeine is found in many weight loss stimulants for its effectiveness it can be dangerous. Because caffeine alone does have some serious side effects. It has been shown to increase your heart rate which if you have hypertension (high blood pressure) could result in a heart attack. but the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found the use of green tea extract was “not accompanied by an increase in heart rate.”

Why? because L-theanine counters the effects caffeine has on your nervous system. Caffeine by itself stimulates your central nervous system and makes your heart race but l-theanine has the amazing ability to calm the nervous system, but you still feel the increased energy. Nature has provided us with a weight loss solution.

The third chemical in tea is ECGC.

What is ECGC?

ECGC is a powerful antioxidant that literally burns the fat. Studies have shown that green tea extracts (containing EGCG) markedly inhibit enzymes in the pancreas that help to digest fat in vitro (meaning “in a test tube”), which may translate into reduced fat digestion in humans. Also ECGC has many other health benefits as a an antioxidant. You are most likely familiar with antioxidants. They have been noted for their ability to fight free radicals in your body. Free radicals are cancer causing cells. So, ECGC helps destroy them to reduce the likelihood of getting cancer.

So, all in all green tea does seem to help you lose weight.