Due to its processing, green tea contains a high concentration of antioxidant polyphenols that are responsible for lowering inflammation and improving cholesterol levels. In addition, these polyphenols taken in supplement form can revive your metabolism and enhance fat-burning. Consult your health care provider before taking green tea supplements.
Absorption
It might be easier for your body to absorb green tea polyphenols from supplements rather than the beverage, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of California Los Angeles. Scientists assigned healthy subjects either a green tea beverage or green tea extract and tested for bioavailability, or absorption. They reported in the December 2004 issue of "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" that green tea extract was more effective than the green tea beverage in absorbing green tea polyphenols in the body.
Mechanism
The main mechanism by which green tea supplements enhance weight loss is by increasing thermogenesis, or heat production, in your body, according to researchers from the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. Green tea polyphenols, especially epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), boost thermogenesis by inhibiting the breakdown of norepinephrine, a hormone that increases energy expenditure, according to findings reported in the February 2000 issue of the "International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders."
Exercise
Green tea extract combined with exercise might boost your fat-burning. Researchers from the University of Birmingham investigated the effects of green tea extract plus exercise on fat-burning in healthy men. Participants consumed either three green tea extract capsules, containing of 890 mg of polyphenols, or a corn-flour placebo before performing 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise. Scientists reported in the March 2008 issue of "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" that those in the green tea extract group had higher levels of fat-burning compared with those in the placebo group.
Side Effects
Green tea supplements contain caffeine, which in high doses may cause several side effects, including insomnia, irritability, headaches and nervousness, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. If you experience any of these symptoms, reduce your intake of caffeine or switch to decaffeinated green tea. Consult your health care provider before taking green tea supplements.
References
- "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Bioavailability and Antioxidant Activity of Tea Flavanols After Consumption of Green Tea, Black Tea, or a Green Tea Extract Supplement; S.M. Henning et al.; December 2004
- "International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders; A.G. Dulloo et al.; February 2000
- "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Green Tea Extract Ingestion, Fat Oxidation, and Glucose Tolerance in Healthy Humans; M.C. Venables et al.; March 2008
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Green Tea
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