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Green Tea Pills for Weight Loss

Jun 14, 2011 | By Milo Dakota
Green Tea Pills for Weight Loss
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An ingredient in green tea not found in other caffeinated beverages may give you an extra edge in your weight loss efforts, studies show. While green tea has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for weight loss, several peer-reviewed clinical trials support at least some of proponents' claims. And, if you don't like drinking green tea, you can take green tea pills instead. The caffeine in green tea capsules may have adverse side effects, particularly for pregnant and nursing women and people with some pre-existing health conditions.

Green Tea's Fat-Burning Secret

Green tea contains epigallocatechin gallate, which may be abbreviated on green tea capsule labels as EGCG or referred to in articles as catechins. Catechins, which are also found in black tea but at much lower levels, may have fat-burning properties not found in most caffeinated beverages like coffee, chocolate, some sodas and most energy drinks. Most of the side effects linked to green tea stem from its caffeine content, so if you are unable to tolerate caffeine, you could take decaffeinated green tea pills to get the benefits of catechins with fewer risks.

Better Metabolism in Male Green Tea Drinkers, Study Finds

Green tea helped men burn fat more quickly than non-drinkers in a study conducted at the Center for Clinical Studies. Michael Boschmann and others who reported their findings in the 2007 "Journal of the American College of Nutrition," found that men who consumed 300 mg of catechins metabolized fat more quickly than men who were given a placebo instead. The amount of catechins in green tea capsules varies. The Meta-T Green Tea capsules, for instance, contain 90 mg of EGCG and a capsule of Green Tea Slim provides 60 mg of catechins. Boschmann said that although the results of his study were promising for weight watchers, they are based on a small pilot study, so further research is needed.

More Fat-Burning Catechins in Green Than Black Tea

A study reported in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" also linked catechins to an increase in metabolism and a decrease in body fat. Men in the study were either asked to drink black tea containing 22 mg of catechins or green tea containing 660 mg. At the end of three months, the green tea drinkers lost an average of 5.3 lbs. The black tea drinkers lost an average of 2.9 lbs. The large amount of catechins in green tea also helped the men who drank it reduce their body fat, their Body Mass Index and their waist size significantly more than the the men who drank black tea.

Third Study Supports Green Tea's Role in Weight Loss

Green tea also prevented obesity in mice and helped already-fat rodents slim down in a study conducted at Rutgers University. M. Bose and colleagues who reported their findings in "Biotech Business Week," also cited catechins as the key ingredient responsible for the fat-fighting effects of green tea. Green tea has been a staple in Asian diets for thousands of years and no studies there or in western cultures have reported negative consequences of consuming catechins.

Precautions

The caffeine in green tea capsules may pose a problem for some individuals. Caffeine use in pregnant women may cause lower birth weights, according to a four-year study published in the "British Medical Journal" that cautioned pregnant women against ingesting more than 100 mg of caffeine daily. People with overactive thryroids, kidney disease and anxiety disorders may also be unable to safely consume caffeine. Green tea capsules do come in decaffeinated form, although the pills still contain small amounts of caffeine that may affect those who are highly sensitive to the stimulant.

References

Article reviewed by V. Mac Last updated on: Jun 14, 2011

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