Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, and for good reason. It has a host of benefits, especially green tea.
One study showed a reduction in fasting blood glucose and insulin resistance in mice consuming green tea extract (1). These are two big markers of diabetes.
Another study showed green tea can actually reduce cancer risk (2). The researchers completed a meta-analysis on 13 different studies and discovered that women who drank the most green tea had a large reduction in overall risk of breast cancer.
While these results are impressive, green tea has another health benefit that many are seeking. That is fat loss.
Let’s look at some of the evidence.
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Study #1: One group of researchers performed a randomized placebo control trial on 182 overweight adults (3). They had four different groups consume a certain beverage each day for 90 days.
The first group drank the placebo. The second group drank one serving of the placebo and one serving of extra high catechin (more on this later) green tea. The third group drank two servings of high catechin green tea. And the final group drank two servings of extra high catechin green tea.
The fourth group displayed the best results. They lost an average of 2.64 pounds, while their waist size was reduced by 3/4 inch. These results occurred without exercise and a change in diet.
Study #2: In this double blind controlled study, the researchers took a group of type 2 diabetic patients and divided them into two groups (4). One group consumed high catechin green tea (582.8 mg), while the other group consumed low catechin green tea (96.3 mg) for 12 weeks.
At the end of the study, the authors found a significantly greater decrease in waist circumference in the high catechin green tea group when compared to the low group.
Study #3: In this double blind, randomized controlled study, the researchers had a group of 40 obese Japanese children consume either a high catechin green tea (576 mg) or a low catechin green tea (75 mg) once per day for 24 weeks (5).
They found that the high catechin group had a significant reduction in waist circumference, blood pressure, and LDL cholesterol after 24 weeks.
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All of these studies show great results just from supplementing green tea into your diet. Now, as you may have noticed there was a big difference in the results based on the content of catechins in the tea. This is one of the reasons why green tea can be used for fat loss.
Catechins are powerful antioxidants (6). When looking at the benefits of green tea and fat loss, the primary catechin responsible for these changes is known as Epigallocatechin gallate or simply EGCG. Here’s a link showing some popular brands of green tea and their catechin levels if you’re curious.
The reason why ECGC works so well is that it suppresses a specific enzyme that breaks the hormone norepinephrine down. Norepinephrine is a big player in fat metabolism.
It essentially signals to fat cells when they need to be used for energy. When there is more norepinephrine, more fat gets used. This results in greater fat loss.
Now, while green tea can be used for fat loss, don’t expect magical results. Other dietary and exercise interventions need to occur to see large decreases in overall body fat. Green tea should be used a supplement with proper exercise and nutrition.
The changes observed in the above studies show green tea has many other benefits as well. This drink should be a staple in anyone’s diet. It’s one of the healthiest beverages around.
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References:
1) http://news.psu.edu/story/310179/2014/04/02/research/research-suggests-green-tea-exercise-boost-weight-loss-health
2) Sun, C.L., et.al. Green tea, black tea and breast cancer risk: a meta-analysis of epidemiological studies. Carcinogenesis. 2006 Jul;27(7):1310-5.
3) Wang, H., et. al. Effects of catechin enriched green tea on body composition. Obesity. 2009.
4) Nagao, T., et. al. A catechin-rich beverage improves obesity and blood glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes. Obesity. 2009.
5) Matsuyama T., Catechin safely improved higher levels of fatness, blood pressure, and cholesterol in children. Obesity. 2008. (6):1338-48.
6) http://examine.com/supplements/Green+Tea+Catechins/
