Whether it is on your belly or just all over, most people have areas of fat storage that they would rather do without. Although hormones play an important role in the distribution of body fat, you will see a major impact from any steps that successfully reduce the overall amount stored. Green tea stands out as a simple addition to your routine and one that may have a positive impact in the battle against the bulge.
Green Tea
One of the world's favourite drinks, you make green tea by brewing the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant in water. David Tolson, a contributor to Bulk Nutrition, explains that green tea provides a wealth of healthy compounds, including carotenoids and chlorophyll, which imparts the characteristic color into the beverage.
EGCG
The majority of the interest in green tea surrounds the polyphenol content of the tea, which Tolson explains can total around 10 percent of the leaf. Polyphenols, plant compounds found across a range of fruit, vegetables and herbs, have the power to influence the metabolism. Catechins represents a sub-group of polyphenols that can enhance the rate of fat burning, particularly epigallocatechin-gallate or EGCG, which stands out as a particularly potent catechin.
Thermogenesis
Thermogenesis describes the process through which your central nervous system stimulates the burning of fat to increase body temperature. The rate of thermogenesis depends on the levels of catecholemine hormones like epinephrine and norepinephrine. Tolson describes how EGCG increases the rate of thermogenesis by inhibiting an enzyme called COMT, which breaks down norepinephrine. Increased levels of this hormone increased heat production and fat burning.
Evidence
Green tea stands up well to scientific scrutiny. A team, led by Dr. Abdul Dulloo, investigated the effects of a green tea extract on energy usage in humans. The report, published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in 1999, found that energy usage increased by 3.5 percent in those using the extract but, most impressively, the proportion of energy that came from fat rose from 31 to 41 percent.
Dosage
Dr. Joseph Mercola, a physician and the author of several books on nutrition and health, rates green tea highly for its cardiovascular protection and figure-enhancing effects. He suggests that three cups per day represents a suitable dose to harness these effects, noting that fat burning increases for several hours following consumption of the beverage.
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