Adding herbs and teas to your dietary and exercise program might help you get lean. Research indicates that certain herbs and teas might enhance fat loss by increasing the expression of genes that help burn body fat and prevent the development of new fat cells. Consult your health care provider before taking any herbs or teas, since they may interact with medications.
Cayenne Pepper
The herb cayenne pepper contains the compound capsaicin, which might increase fat loss, according to researchers from Daegu University in South Korea. They discovered that rats fed capsaicin lost more body fat on a high fat diet compared to those following the same diet without capsaicin. Capsaicin increases the expression of genes that boost fat burning while decreasing the expression of genes that encourage the synthesis of fat cells, according to research reported in the July 2010 issue of the "Journal of Proteome Research."
Turmeric
Researchers from Tufts University investigated the impact of curcumin, a main component of the herb turmeric, on weight loss in rats. For 12 weeks, subjects were fed a high fat diet with or without curcumin. At the end of the study, which was published in the May 2009 issue of the "Journal of Nutrition," scientists discovered that the curcumin group lost body weight compared to the non-curcumin group. Like capsaicin, curcumin suppressed the buildup of fat tissue.
White Tea
In research reported in the May 2009 issue of the journal "Nutrition and Metabolism," researchers from Beiersdorf AG, Germany studied the impact of white tea on obesity. They discovered that white tea boosted fat loss and prevented obesity by preventing pre-fat cells from developing into mature fat cells. In addition, it also stimulated fat breakdown in existing fat cells. Although these findings are promising, further research is needed.
Green Tea
Scientists from Kao Corporation in Japan and Tufts University in Boston explored the effects of green tea catechins on exercise-induced fat loss. They found that overweight and obese subjects performing a moderate amount of exercise and consuming a beverage with 625mg of green tea catechins for 12 weeks lost more body fat compared to those adhering to the same exercise plan with a placebo.
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