Many foods and drinks are often associated with weight loss, although there is often little evidence to support it. One drink that has been shown by studies to help with weight loss is green tea. Drinking green tea can help you to lose weight, but typically taking a single supplement will not make a drastic difference.
Weight Loss
The first thing to remember is that while green tea may have proven qualities that can aid in weight loss, there is only one golden rule when it comes to losing weight. According to the government's Weight-control Information Network, you will lose weight only if your total calorie intake is lower than the amount of calories you burn through exercise and daily living. So while drinking green tea may help you lose weight, it will not guarantee it.
Green Tea
Green tea is made from the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant. The same plant is also the source of all other varieties of tea, namely black tea and oolong tea. The difference is that green tea is made from unfermented tea leaves, while black tea is made from fermented leaves and oolong tea is made from partially fermented leaves. The weight loss property of green tea is attributed to chemicals known as polyphenols, or catechins. The fat-burning properties of catechins have been documented in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."
Green Tea and Weight Loss
The most significant property of catechins in green tea is that it appears to accelerate the metabolism of fat in the body, thus causing the body to burn a higher proportion of fat as well as more calories altogether. The Chinese study that showed this also determined that the antioxidant catechins can also reduce cholesterol levels. Green tea is more effective than black tea because it contains a higher level of polyphenols, which are denatured in the fermentation process that creates black tea. It also contains virtually no calories, meaning that you can drink a lot to keep your stomach full and reduce the feeling of hunger that can be associated with weight loss.
Caffeine and Sleep
The main drawback with drinking green tea before bedtime is that green tea contains caffeine, which can affect sleep. There are ways around this, such as drinking green tea in the morning, or taking green tea extract in capsule form, or drinking caffeine-free green tea. However, the University of Maryland Medical Center website postulates that there is a connection between the caffeine in green tea and its weight loss properties, as caffeine can boost your metabolism and increase the amount of calories you burn. Many decaffeinated teas also have a lower level of catechins.
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