Green tea (and oolong tea) has been heavily marketed as a miracle weight loss supplement in recent years. There is no doubting its fat burning qualities, but are most green tea supplements nothing more than just hype?
For me, green tea is a delicious alternative to water. And if you’re not into hot drinks you can always serve it cold; serve it over ice for ice tea! Like I’ve already touched upon, there is no need for anything more than the good old tea bag in my opinion.
Can Green Tea Help You Me Lose Weight?
The main problem with green tea supplements is that they are marketed as a miracle “quick fix”. There is no such thing unfortunately. While the supplements are over hyped, and green tea alone won’t get you to your target weight or physique, they are an important part of a complete nutritional program. Here’s how they aid with weight loss:
Green tea is a natural source of the fat burner caffeine. However, unlike coffee it won’t increase your heart rate uncomfortably or give you a light headed buzz; green tea delivers a conservative dose.
So far so good then. But there is more than just caffeine to green tea’s box of tricks…
Antioxidant Power
In addition to caffeine, green tea also contains Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG). This potent antioxidant has been likened to caffeine in its ability to raise metabolic rate, but also mooted as a potential anti-cancer, natural chemical.
Did you know that research has shown that EGCG is 200 times more powerful than vitamin E as an antioxidant?
For more details on these antioxidant and metabolic boosting benefits check out pubmed.com and the American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition.
So green tea contains two metabolic boosting, natural chemicals. And it is high in antioxidants. But I’m not even close to being finished!
Regulate Blood Sugar/ Glucose
If you are looking to lose fat then it is very important to limit spikes in your blood sugar levels. These are known to cause an insulin response. And insulin is a fat storing hormone. Green tea helps us out here by actually slowing the rise in blood sugar levels following a meal.
So a cup of green tea with each meal can help regulate appetite and prevent your body storing fat.
It does this by slowing down the action of the digestive enzyme amalase. Amalase is key in the breakdown of starches (carbohydrates) into sugar, a process that could normally lead to the dreaded blood sugar spike.
Store Less Fat
Not content with controlling blood sugar levels, green tea also helps your body store less fat. It does this by inhibiting the fatty acid synthase, which is involved in turning carbohydrates into fat. Scientific studies are in their early days, but results are showing that this can increase weight loss.
There is also evidence to show that LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglyceride levels can be reduced.
Who would have thought that you can get this many fat burning mechanisms from just a few cups of tea per day. I had absolutely no idea myself until I did some research into the subject. And it just goes to show that those expensive supplements aren’t necessary.
So how much should you drink? Experts think that the benefits kick in after 2 or 3 cups per day, so go for at least that many. And don’t forget that different types of teas will have their own unique blend of antioxidants, so it could be worth mixing things up a little. I always go for a reputable brand, and try to buy organic where I can.
If hot drinks aren’t up your street then you can chill your tea blend down and serve over ice. It is worth noting that you should never pour boiling hot water over your tea bag as it can damage the antioxidants contained within. Just let the kettle cool off for a moment or leave you water to stand for several minutes before adding the tea bag.
One final tip before I go: never add sugar or artificial sweeteners to your tea. This will ruin the potential health benefits and add on a load of empty calories.
I hope you found this article interesting. But there is more out there than just green tea that can help you get in shape. Check out this List Of Fat Burning Foods for some more delicious ideas. For more info on Fat Burning Foods why not visit my blog.