Consumed throughout the ages in India, China, Japan and Thailand, green tea still features in the daily habits of millions worldwide. Researchers from the University of Maryland Medical Center note how the brew shows promise in a wide variety of ailments, including cancer and and heart disease, but may help dieters lose weight independent of its caffeine content.
Green Tea
You make green tea from adding hot water to the partially fermented leaves of the camelia sinensis plant. David Tolson, a nutritional researcher and a contributor to Bulk Nutrition, explains that the leaves contain a number of different compounds, including carotenoids and chlorophyll, which imparts the characteristic color into the beverage. However, green tea also contains caffeine and polyphenols.
Caffeine Content
Although the caffeine content in green tea can vary, Tolson estimates that the average caffeine content in a standard cup totals 20 mg, around half that found in a can of Coke. However, those who purchase decaffeinated products to avoid caffeine can still utilize the fat-burning properties of green tea; Tolson identifies the polyphenols as the fat-burning constituents.
Polyphenols
Polyphenols are plant compounds that exert a variety of effects in the human body. Catechins come to the fore as one particular sub-group of polyphenols and remain abundant in green tea. One particular catechin, epigallocatechin-gallate or EGCG for short, makes up half the weight of polyphenols in the tea leaves. The academics from the University of Maryland Medical Center note that a number of studies support green tea's fat-burning ability.
Thermogenesis
Dr. Abdul Dulloo led a research team that attempted to measure the increase in thermogenesis caused by a green tea extract. The "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" published the results of their 1999 study, specifically that green tea increased overall energy expenditure in volunteers by 3.5 percent. Importantly, the amount of energy that came from fat increased from 31 to 41 percent.
Other Mechanisms
The polyphenol content in tea may help to speed up weight loss in additional ways. Tolson reports how consumption of these compounds can increase the release of CCK, an intestinal hormone that turns off hunger, helping to curb cravings and increased adherence to diets. He notes that the polyphenols may also reduce the digestion and absorption of fats, reducing total calorific intake.
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