Green tea has been used for hundreds of years in China to treat indigestion, improve heart health and relieve upset stomachs. Most of its effects are due to antioxidant compounds called catechins. Evidence indicates that taking green tea pills can provide long-term effects. Consult your health-care provider before taking green tea pills.
Body Fat
Green tea extract might be effective for dropping body fat, according to a study conducted by researchers at Kao Corporation in Japan. Participants were assigned to receive green tea extract containing 583 mg or 96 mg of catechins for 12 weeks. Body fat levels were measured before and after the study. Scientists discovered that that those in the higher catechin group lost more body fat, especially around the stomach, compared with those in the lower catechin group. The findings were reported in the June 2007 issue of "Obesity."
Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, since it disrupts blood and nutrient flow to your heart. Researchers at the University of Florida gave healthy subjects green tea extract twice a day for three months and measured their blood pressure. They observed that after three months, participants experienced decreases in systolic blood pressure, or the force of the heart pumping blood while beating, according to research reported in the October 2008 issue of "Nutrition."
Endurance Training
During endurance training, your body uses a combination of carbohydrates and fat. However, increasing your body's utilization of fat during exercise may enhance endurance. Researchers at Waseda University in Tokyo discovered that participants taking green tea extract containing 573 mg of catechins for 10 weeks while undergoing endurance training experienced increases in whole-body fat utilization compared with those who had a placebo, according to research published in the August 2011 issue of the "Scandavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports."
Interactions
Green tea supplements may interfere with several medications, including beta-blockers, antibiotics and blood-thinning medications, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Before you take green tea pills, consult your health-care provider.
References
- "Obesity"; A Green Tea Extract High In Catechins Reduces Body Fat and Cardiovascular Risks in Humans; T. Nagao et al.; June 2007
- "Nutrition"; Standarized Capsule of Camellia Sinensis Lowers Cardiovascular Risk Factors in a Rndomized, Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled Study; M.P. Nantz et al.; October 2008
- "Scandavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports"; Effect of Endurance Training Supplemented With Green Tea Extract on Substrate Metabolism During Exercise in Humans; T. Ichinose et al.; August 2011
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Green Tea; 2011
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