How Well Does Green Tea Burn Fat?

The range of health benefits associated with green tea has continued to grow in recent years. The hot beverage has long stood out as one of the most popular drinks on the planet, but has continued to win new fans for its reported effects on cardiovascular health, immune system support and fat burning.

Camelia Sinensis

You make green tea by brewing the partially fermented leaves of the camelia sinensis plant in hot water. The plant, which also serves as the base ingredient in both black and white tea, provides a wealth of healthy consituents. David Tolson, a nutritional researcher and contributor to Iron Magazine.com, notes that the leaves contain chlorophyll and carotenoids, as well as range of vitamins, minerals and polyphenols.

Polyphenols

The polyphenol content of green tea remains subject to a lot of attention in weight-loss circles. Tolson reports that polyphenols make up 1/10 of the weight of green tea, and that half of these come in the form of epigallocatechin-gallate, a particularly potent catechin. These plant compounds exist as subgroups of the polyphenols, and play a major role in the fat burning process.

Thermogenesis

Many factors effect the rate of fat burning in the body. Thermogenesis comes to the fore as one such factor, and involves the ongoing conversion of fat to heat to maintain the body's temperature. The catechins in green tea inhibit the breakdown of noradrenaline in the central nervous system, which results in an increased rate of thermogenesis and therefore fat burning.

Evidence

Research published in the "Journal and Nutrition" firmly supported the role of green tea in increasing the rate at which the body burns fat. The 1999 paper, submitted by Dr. Abdul Dulloo and others, measured the responses of volunteers who took green tea extracts. They found that overall energy expenditure was increased by 3.5 percent and the amount of energy that come from fat jumped from 31 percent to 41 percent.

Suggested Dose

Dr. Joseph Mercola, the U.S. physician and the author of several books on health and nutrition, rates green tea as an excellent drink for increasing health and burning fat. He suggests that 3 cups per day represents an ideal dosage to harness these positive effects.