Due to its rich nutritional and antioxidant makeup, green tea has been associated with many health benefits, including weight loss.
Although it has recently gained popularity in the West, in traditional Chinese medicine, green tea has long been used to treat many illnesses, from headaches to wound healing.
Green tea has been related to weight loss recently. The evidence behind this argument, as well as the most successful methods of drinking green tea to help with weight loss, will be discussed in this article.
Weight loss and green tea and
Collectively, the processes that allow the body to turn food and drink into usable energy are known as metabolism. By helping the body’s metabolism to be more efficient, green tea can be beneficial for weight loss.
Green tea contains caffeine and an antioxidant called catechin, which is a form of flavonoid. Research indicates that metabolism can be accelerated by both of these compounds. Catechin can help to break down excess fat, while the amount of energy the body uses can be increased by both catechin and caffeine.
A 2010 study found that supplements of green tea, which contain catechins or caffeine, had a limited but significant effect on weight loss and weight control.
A more recent study examined the therapeutic use of green tea in individuals who were overweight or obese to promote weight loss. Although green tea was found to have a positive effect on weight loss, the outcome was not meaningful, and the authors concluded that clinical significance was doubtful.
The advantage of green tea for weight loss has a theoretical basis, and some scientific evidence has been found to support these claims outside clinical settings.
Studies in this area, however, prefer to use doses containing a higher proportion of catechin or caffeine than would be contained in a standard green tea cup.
It is important to remember that any weight loss advantages of green tea are likely to be very small. Green tea’s effect is not as effective as other types of safe weight loss, such as exercise, which have much greater metabolic benefits.
Exercising and eating a balanced diet daily with plenty of vegetables are highly successful methods for weight loss. Green tea used alongside these techniques can improve their positive results.
How to drink green tea
For weight loss supplementation, drinking between 2 and 3 cups of hot green tea during the day should be adequate. Depending on how much caffeine they consume and their natural metabolism, the exact amount can vary from individual to individual.
Green tea comes in many types, but there are unlikely to be major variations between them for weight loss. It is probable that plain, minimally processed green teas have maintained the richest nutritional content.
It is deemed healthy to drink green tea. In certain cases, however, caution should be taken as large doses of caffeine can cause issues for those at risk of heart or high blood pressure problems.
What is green tea?
Tea comes in numerous forms, but they are all derived from the same plant. The Camellia sinensis plant is grown from green, black, white, and oolong tea.
By steaming the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, green tea is made. The same fermentation method used to make other forms of tea, such as oolong or black tea, does not go through, because it preserves some of the antioxidants and nutrients present in the leaves of the plant.
Other benefits
A variety of different compounds are found in green tea, including:
It has been associated with several health benefits, including:
- reducing cholesterol
- improving heart functioning
- reducing Alzheimer’s disease risk
- managing type 2 diabetes
- having anti-cancer properties
However, the proof for all of these arguments remains inconclusive. For example, a 2009 research review linking green tea consumption to cancer prevention was unable to find any clear evidence supporting the argument.
A more recent 2013 study found some evidence to indicate that green tea consumption can lower cholesterol. However, this was based on a small number of short-term studies.
In conclusion, to confirm whether green tea is beneficial for any medical conditions, more high-quality, long-term studies are needed.
Conclusion
Green tea is abundant in antioxidants and nutrients that can have a variety of health advantages. In order to determine the degree to which it can help with weight loss and the best method for its consumption, more research will be needed.
There is no harm to green tea and it has been used for decades. As such, for weight loss and general wellbeing, it can be a valuable addition to a balanced diet and exercise routine.
Sources
- Boehm, K., Borrelli, F., Ernst, E., Habacher, G., Hung, S. K., Milazzo, S., … Horneber, M. (2009, July 8). Green tea (Camellia sinensis) for the prevention of cancer. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (3) Retrieved from
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- Green tea: The elixir of life or just hype? (2015, August 26)
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(LINK) - Hursel, R., Viechtbauer, W., & Westerterp-Plantenga, M. S. (2009, July 14). The effects of green tea on weight loss and weight maintenance: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Obesity, 33, 956–961
(LINK) - Jurgens, T. M., Whelan, A. M., Killian, L., Doucette, S., Kirk, S., & Foy, E. (2012, December 12). Green tea for weight loss and weight maintenance in overweight or obese adults. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 12
(LINK) - Westerterp-Plantenga, M. S. (2010, April 26). Green tea catechins, caffeine and body-weight regulation [Abstract]. Physiology & Behavior, 100(1), 42–46
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