The green tea diet consists of drinking green tea throughout the day instead of drinks such as soda or coffee. If you have reached a weight loss plateau, consider giving green tea a try. But don't expect the pounds to come flying off, warns Dr. Katherine Zeratsky of the Mayo Clinic.
History
Dr. Nicholas Perricone is a dermatologist and anti-aging expert, according to his official website. He has published several anti-aging and weight-loss books, including "The Perricone Prescription," "The Perricone Weight Loss Diet" and "Dr. Perricone's 7 Secrets to Beauty, Health and Longevity." Perricone's health and weight loss suggestions include consuming acai berries and green tea to help cleanse the body and lose weight. Perricone suggests using green tea for weight loss while appearing on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." Perricone's advice and methods have been scrutinized by some doctors, including Dr. Harriet Hall and Dr. Stephen Barrett of "Quack Watch," suggesting that Perricone's methods are considered quick fixes rather than long-term solutions.
Function
Green tea is used as a substitute for coffee and other high-calorie drinks such as soda. Caffeine helps curb appetite and acts as a diuretic, which increases water loss in the body and can help cause temporary weight loss. According to Perricone, however, coffee contains cortisol and insulin, which can cause weight gain that counteracts the caffeine in the coffee. On "The Oprah Winfrey Show," Perricone suggested that substituting green tea for coffee can help cause significant weight loss.
Significance
Individuals who do not regularly consume coffee may not experience the benefits from switching to green tea. Perricone does not specify how much green tea to drink every day to reap the benefits of his plan. On "The Oprah Winfrey Show," Perricone suggested that individuals who switch from green tea to coffee "will lose 10 pounds in six weeks." The claim that drinking green tea will cause an individual to lose 10 pounds in under two months has not been proven by any scientific studies.
Considerations
Green tea may cause an individual to lose a small amount of weight, particularly if he was consuming high-calorie beverages in the past. Green tea, however, is not a long-term solution to weight loss, particularly if no other lifestyle changes are made. A diet consisting of healthy foods in moderation and regular exercise are the best options for weight loss, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Expert Insight
According to Dr. Katherine Zeratsky at the Mayo Clinic, green tea may help weight loss in three ways. First, the caffeine in green tea acts as an appetite suppressant. Additionally, green tea "may stimulate thermogenesis," which is heat production that provides energy to digest food. Finally, the caffeine in green tea acts as a diuretic, causing temporary water weight loss. Although caffeine may provide some weight loss, Zeratsky says "there's no evidence that increased caffeine consumption results in significant or permanent weight loss." Additionally, the Natural Standard Research Collaboration suggests that because some studies prove green tea provides weight loss benefits while others do not, more research is required before it can be recommended as a weight-loss aid.
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