Green tea contains a high amount of antioxidant compounds called catechins. Catechins are responsible for a host of benefits, from reducing inflammation to lowering cholesterol. Although no food burns fat, catechins found in green tea help stimulate the metabolism and may possibly lead to weight loss. Consult your health care provider before taking any herbs.
Mechanism
Green tea's fat burning effects are mainly due to the catechin epigallocatechin gallate, also known as EGCG. According to research reported in the 2006 issue of the "Journal of Medicinal Food," scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences discovered that EGCG inhibits catechol-O-methyltransferase, an enzyme that breaks down norepinpehrine. This in turn allows higher levels of norepinpehrine in the body. Norepinpehrine enhances fat loss by stimulating the release of fatty acids from fat cells into the bloodstream where it's burned as fuel.
Fat Loss
Researchers from Khon Kaen University in Thailand examined the effects of green tea on weight loss in obese men and women. Participants followed a diet plan with green tea or a placebo for 12 weeks. Energy expenditure and fat oxidation, or fat burning, were measured at the beginning of the study and during weeks 4, 8, and 12. Scientists observed that the green tea group lost more body fat compared to the placebo group. Green tea increased both energy expenditure and fat oxidation, according to findings published in the February 2008 issue of "Physiology Behavior."
Green Tea and Exercise
Green tea catechins, combined with exercise, might enhance fat loss, according to a study conducted by researchers from Tufts University and Kao Corporation. Overweight and obese men and women were assigned to receive a beverage containing 625 mg of catechins, which had 214 mg of EGCG, and 39 mg of caffeine or a placebo while performing a moderate amount of exercise three times a week for 12 weeks. Scientists found that the green tea catechin group lost a greater amount of body fat, particularly around the stomach region, compared to the placebo group, according to the February 2009 issue of the "Journal of Nutrition."
Interactions
Keep in mind that green tea might interact with specific medications, including antibiotics, benzodiazepines, beta blockers and blood thinning medications, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Therefore, consult your physician before ingesting green tea.
References
- "Journal of Medicinal Food"; Green Tea Extract Thermogenesis-Induced Weight Loss By Epigallocatechin Gallate Inhibition of Catechol-O-Methyltransferase; Q. Shixian et al.; 2006
- "Physiology & Behavior"; Effectiveness of Green Tea on Weight Reduction in Obese Thais: A Randomized, Controlled Trial; P. Auvichayapat et al.; February 2008
- "Journal of Nutrition"; Green Tea Catechin Consumption Enhances Exercise-Induced Abdominal Fat Loss in Overweight and Obese Adults; K.C. Maki et al.; February 2009
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Green Tea
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