Mega Tea Diet & Weight

If you want to reap the reported weight loss benefits of green tea without drinking several --- or several dozen --- glasses a day, you might be interested in trying Mega-T Green Tea capsules. They provide nearly as many antioxidants as green tea brewed from fresh leaves and similar amounts of caffeine. But if you take the manufacturer's recommended dosage, you may not get enough antioxidants to replicate weight loss results in scientific studies.

Fat-Burning Catechins

Mega-T Green Tea capsules contain 90 mg of catechins --- the fat-burning antioxidant in green tea. By comparison, green tea brewed from leaves contains 127 mg of catechins and green tea brewed from organic tea bags contains 100 mg. Commercial tea bags, flavored tea and bottled green tea contain considerably less --- as few as 12 mg per cup. Mega-T's manufacture suggests taking two capsules daily for a total of 180 mg of catechins. This amount is less than that consumed in scientific studies that positively linked green tea and weight loss. Several studies in which between 300 mg and 660 mg of catechins were consumed proved a correlation, but a study in which participants took 150 mg of catechins daily did not.

Side Effects of Addtional Herbs

Although it may be tempting to take more than the recommended dosage of Meta-T Green Tea capsules, the supplements contain more than green tea. While green tea is considered safe except for persons sensitive to caffeine, some of the other ingredients in Meta-T may cause adverse reactions. The additional herbs in Meta T and their side effects include: eluethero, sleep disorders and high blood pressure; fo-ti root, loose stools; gotu kola, liver problems; guarana, nervousness, and kelp and bladderwrack, both of which contain iodine, which could contribute to hyperthyroidism.

Scientific Study

Several studies demonstrate the effectiveness of green tea catechins in promoting weight loss, particularly the loss of abdominal fat. Perhaps the most promising results were achieved in a study conducted by U.S. researcher Kevin Maki. Men in his study who drank 660 mg of green tea catechins daily lost 5.4 lbs. in 12 weeks and lost a proportionately greater amount of belly fat than overall body weight. The amount of catechins consumed by study participants is more than 3.5 times the catechins in the manufacturer's recommended dose of Meta-T Green Tea capsules. The men in the study also followed a calorie-restricted diet. The weight loss that could be attributed to green tea catechins was 2.5 lbs.

Weighing Manufacturer's Claims

The manufacturers of Meta-T Green Tea Capsules suggest you could lose 20 lbs. by taking their dietary aid, but add in smaller print that you should also diet and exercise to reach that goal. You could lose about 1 pound a week by reducing your daily food and beverage intake by 500 calories. You could lose another ½ lb. to 1 lb. per week by engaging in moderate exercise. Without taking Meta-T Green Tea Capsules, you could lose 20 lbs. in 10 to 15 weeks through sensible diet and exercise.

Possible Additional Benefits

If you are not bothered by the side effects of the additional herbs in Meta-T Green Tea Capsules, some of them may provide weight loss benefits. Eleuthero, also known as Siberian ginseng, may boost your energy, fo-ti-root may lower cholesterol, garcinia may promote weight loss, gotu kola may provide mental clarity and guarana may give you an energy lift similar to what you'd get from caffeine. The iodine in kelp and bladderwrack may treat a particular --- but not the most common --- type of underactive thyroid. The reported benefits are based on centuries of use, but are not necessarily supported by clinical studies. Consult your physicians before taking any of the herbs in Meta-T Green Tea Capsules.