As one of the world's most popular beverages, green tea has been enjoyed for thousands of years across many countries. Involved in many traditional ceremonies in Japan and other parts of Asia, the popularity of the herbal drink has soared in Western countries during recent decades. On top of a high antioxidant content, green tea demonstrates an ability to enhance weight loss attempts.
Green Tea
You make green tea by brewing the leaves of the camelia sinensis plant in hot water. This plant, which can grow up to 30 feet when left, serves as the starting point for both black and green tea. Green tea leaves undergo minimal processing, leaving them with a higher antioxidant count and a rich concentration of catechin compounds.
Catechin Content
The catechins, a form of polyphenol, stand out amongst the phytonutrients naturally present in green tea. Vitamin and Herb University point out that up to 30 percent of the dry weight of the leaves come from these special compounds, which play a major role in green tea's weight loss effects. Tolson points to EGCG, also referred to as epigallocatechin-gallate, as a particularly potent catechin compound.
Thermogenesis
The process of thermogenesis remains one of the major factors in the rate of fat burning in the body. The procedure sees the central nervous system trigger the burning of fat in order to preserve or increase the temperature. David Tolson, a nutritional researcher and a contributor to Iron Magazine, explains how noradrenaline upregulates thermogenesis by binding to receptors in special cells; the catechin compounds increase the availability of this hormone by inhibiting it's breakdown. This results in a higher rate of fat burning.
Appetite Suppression
Beyond the direct effect on fat burning, green tea may help though other mechanisms. Tolson notes how the consumption of green tea can elevate the release of cholecystokinin, a hormone released by the intestines after a meal to tell the brain you have had enough food. An increased output of this hormone, also known as CCK, reduces appetite.
Evidence
The weight loss benefits of green tea stood up well to scientific scrutiny in a 2002 test. Two French doctors gave volunteers a green tea extract each day for three months and measured the responses in the test subjects. They found that the average body weight dropped by 4.5 percent and that waist sizes shrunk by an average of 4.6 percent. Their results were featured in the "Phytomedicine" journal.
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