Does The Egcg In Green Tea Act As An Appetite Suppressant?

EGCG --- the initials behind a powerful antioxidant in green tea --- gets a lot of favorable attention for its weight loss powers. Science backs up some of the claims made by marketers. But EGCG works more like exercise --- it burns calories --- than as an appetite suppressant. The caffeine in green tea may curb your hunger pangs while antioxidants rev up your metabolism.

EGCG in Green Tea, other Beverages and Food

EGCG stands for epigallocatechin gallate, a catechin found in dark chocolate, red wine, blueberries, blackberries, apple skins, black grapes and tea. The excitement about green tea is that it contains a high amount of EGCG, linked in studies to weight loss and other health benefits, including acting as an anti-cancer agent. The contribution of EGCG to metabolism is well-established, but its helpfulness to you depends on the amount and type of green tea you consume, says the Amazing Green Tea website.

Amount Needed for Weight Loss

Clinical studies with positive ties between EGCG and weight loss involved consuming between 300mg and 660mg of green tea catechins daily. If you drink green tea from loose leaves, this would amount to drinking three to six cups daily. But the amount of EGCG in green tea is greatly reduced through processing. Some organic brands of green tea bags contain 100mg of EGCG --- nearly as many as in loose leaf tea --- and some contain only 19mg --- less than in black tea and blueberries. Bottled green tea contains, on average, 12mg of EGCG per 6 oz. serving, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Based on these figures, you would need to drink between 25 and 55 servings of bottled green tea daily to achieve substantial benefits.

Caffeine

Green tea contains caffeine. The amount, like EGCG, varies, but it is generally no more than half of what you would expect to find in black tea or coffee. Caffeine is a stimulant, boosting metabolism and curbing appetite. According to the "British Medical Journal," consuming more than 100mg of caffeine daily --- more than two cups of green tea --- by pregnant women could affect babies' birth weights. Caffeine also acts a diuretic and causes jitteriness in some people.

Effect on Metabolism

If you drink the equivalent of six cups of full-strength green tea, the effect on your metabolism would be similar to that achieved through light exercise --- walking at a leisurely pace for 30 minutes, according to results from clinical studies and figures from the Mayo Clinic about calories burned through exercise. Participants in a study led by U.S. researcher Kevin Maki lost about one-quarter pound a week as the result of drinking 660mg of EGCG. Green tea drinkers in the study lost an average of 5.4 lbs. in 12 weeks by drinking green tea and reducing calories, compared to 2.9 lbs. lost by participants who followed a similar diet but drank black tea. The green tea gave a 2.5 lb. weight loss advantage over course of the study.

Safety

If you are not sensitive to the effects of caffeine, green tea is safe to consume. You could drink decaffeinated green tea but, if your aim is weight loss, you would need to consume decaffeinated green tea in greater quantities to achieve the same effect as you'd get from brewed caffeinated green tea. You could also obtain green tea catechins --- EGCG --- by taking pills or capsules. But be aware that some supplements contain additional herbs that might adversely affect you. One popular green tea capsule contains seven herbs besides green tea.