Decaf Green Tea For Weight Loss

With the emergence of information that green tea may aid in weight loss, a diet craze has erupted in America. Green tea comes in many forms. You can purchase it in tea bags for steeping, in bottles with added fruit flavoring, as gum and as a supplement. Some decaf versions of the tea are also available. Green tea comes from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis shrub found in India and Sri Lanka. Its use dates back 5,000 years, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Significance

Studies have conflicting results to date, but one favorable study took place in 2008 at Khon Kaen University in Thailand. Researchers divided the research participants, all of whom were obese, into two groups, according to the National Institutes of Health. Both ate healthy diets. One group drank green tea, while the other group did not. At the end of the study, the participants who drank the tea had significant weight losses. Those who had not drunk the tea did not do as well. The researchers concluded that the tea had revved the metabolisms and fat-burning of the participants who showed the greatest weight loss.

Considerations

In a study reported in 2003 in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," researchers found that green tea extract increased the metabolic rate of participants. From this finding the researchers extrapolated that if metabolism increases, calories will burn, and body weight will decrease. In 2009, a 90-day study in Shanghai concluded that green tea contains catechins, which have a positive effect on the body composition of the moderately obese. The Mayo Clinic, however, says the results of most studies are inconclusive. Further, O-Cha, a Japanese supplier of green tea and weight-training videos, says drinking five cups of green tea daily yields a burn of only 70 to 80 calories.

Controversy

For each study that suggests green tea has a positive effect on weight loss, another one dismisses that claim. It becomes apparent from this controversy that more studies done by authoritative researchers are needed.

Other Uses

Amid the debate over weight loss, other promising uses have sprouted. A study conducted in 1999 by the Sage Health Clinic in Oregon revealed that green tea extract contains polyphenols, a powerful anti-oxidant, according to the National Institutes of Health. The researchers stated that green tea anti-oxidants have cancer-fighting properties. The study concluded that the extractable solids of the green tea leaf may also slow cancer-cell replication. The study recommended additional studies of green tea's cancer-slowing properties.

Solution

It won't hurt to try green tea. Be aware of the scarcity of the decaf version. In his book, "Anticancer, a New Way of Life," author Dr. David Servan-Schreiber suggests that to get the tea's benefits, you must drink two to three cups or two bottles of green tea daily. Begin a healthy diet and low-impact exercise at the same time. Green tea just might boost your metabolism and make weight loss a little easier. Set realistic goals. Always consult a physician before beginning any weight-loss and fitness plan.