Green tea remains one of the most popular drinks across the globe, enjoyed in the Orient and the West alike. The partially fermented leaves of the camelia sinensis plant produce a light green beverage that contains a wealth of useful compounds, some of which may help reduce appetite and lose weight.
Appetite Control
The body employs a number of mechanisms to help control appetite, which involves the release of many hormones. Some of the more important hormones include noradrenaline, a stimulant of the central nervous system that reduces appetite, and cholecystokinin. This hormone, often called CCK, originates in the intestines to reduce hunger following the arrival of food. The pholyphenols in green tea may alter the expression of both hormones.
Polyphenols
Green tea contains a variety of different plant chemicals, which include pheophytins, chlorophylls, carotenoids and polyphenols. David Tolson, a contributor to Iron Magazine, highlights polyphenols as the most relevant component in relation to appetite control and weight loss, pointing out a specific sub-group of polyphenols called catechins as particularly useful in this regard. These catechins, which include the potent compound epigallocatechin gallate, demonstrate measurable effects on metabolism.
COMT Inhibition
One important effect offered by catechins include the inhibition of the COMT enzyme. Tolson reports how the COMT enzyme breaks down noradrenaline at the central nervous system; by slowing down this process, the effects of this hormone become more pronounced. As noradrenaline increases thermogenesis and reduces appetite, this may explain why green tea drinkers report a reduction in appetite.
Enhancing CCK Release
As mentioned previously, the intestines release CCK upon the arrival of food as a signal to the brain. Tolson notes that the catechins in green tea potentiate the release of this hormone, serving as a secondary mechanism behind green tea's appetite-suppressing effects. Between these two modes of action, green tea consumption results in an reduced level of hunger.
Evidence
Scientific research confirms green tea's ability to increase weight loss. In 2002, French scientists looked into the ability of green tea to reduce weight in obese individuals. They found that, after three months, green tea extracts resulted in a body weight reduction of 5 percent and a 5 percent reduction in waist circumference.
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