Green tea has been a part of eastern culture for thousands of years and the health benefits that people see are varied and in some cases dramatic. Those benefits range from weight loss to lowering of cholesterol to disease prevention. Here are some compelling reasons to drink green tea:

Green Tea Helps With Weight Loss

There have been multiple studies on green tea and weight loss, some of which we have discussed on Greenteaweightlossanswers.com. (See our Green Tea Research and Green Tea Weight Loss pages) The findings are showing that green tea increases thermogenesis (or fat burning) epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG ), which is responsible for stimulating the release of fat in to the blood stream and which is then flushed out of the body. Studies are showing that green tea does help to speed up your metabolism by as much as 43%.

Green Tea Can Help Lower Cholesterol

Research is showing that green tea can help to lower cholesterol and it is believed to work by inhibiting lipids absorption in the digestive tract. Also, studies are finding (as mentioned before) that EGCG, an antioxidant, helps to release fats in to the blood stream which are removed as waste from the body.

Diabetes Protection/Blood Sugar Control

A study out of Japan in 2006 showed that those folks that drank 6 cups or more of green tea daily had less of a chance to develop diabetes than those that drank 1 cup per week. Also, another study out of Japan showed that in those people that are considered borderline or pre-diabetic, green tea consumption lowered the hemoglobin A1c levels, which is  a measurement of the glucose levels in the blood.

Cardiovascular Health

The antioxants, primarily ECGC or epigallocatechin gallate, found in green tea promote heart health by providing anti-flammatory, antithrombogenic effects. ECGC helps to prevent heart muscle damage by blocking inflammatory chemicals that produce oxidation and destroy heart cells during a heart attack.  Also, it is believed that green tea antioxidants can help restore heart cells following a heart attack.

Also, researchers say that there is evidence to suggest that green tea in beneficial for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis, which is the build up plaque in the arteries. ECGC helps to lower LDL cholesterol as well as triglycerides and some free radicals. When cholesterol becomes oxidized, it’s surface becomes rigid or sticky which in turns can cause it to adhere to the walls of the arteries.

Anti-Aging Effects

Because green tea is rich source of antioxidants, which are responsible for neutralizing free radicals, it is not surprising that so many different health benefits can occur including anti-aging effects. Free radicals cause oxidation which is the aging and death of cells. Rust is a perfect example of oxidation. If the protective coat on a car is damaged or removed eventually oxidation will take a toll and the metal will become oxidized. The same thing happens to our cells. When free radicals attack our cells, they can become damaged which can eventually lead to disease. Green tea is rich in antioxidants like ECGC which neutralize free radicals and in turn help to prevent premature aging and disease.

A study out of Japan analyzed data collected over an 11 year period with over 40,000 participants, ages 40-79. All of the participants were considered healthy, this is that they were void of diseases such as heart disease, stroke and cancer. After the 11 year study was completed it was found that those who consumed 5 cups of green tea per day had a much lower risk of death from all causes, with the exception of cancer, especially cardiovascular related diseases and stroke.

In eastern cultures, green tea has become a staple of the asian diet and while we can’t say that green tea is the only reason why their rates of diseases like heart disease and cancer are less, it is safe to conclude that the consumption green tea on a daily basis is a contributing factor as to why their overall health is much better than that of western cultures. Here is our recommended green tea weight loss lifestyle plan that will help get you on your way to a better quality of life.

The study looked at 132 obese adults who consumed a consistent daily intake of calories and added in about 25 minutes per day of exercise. The group was split in to two categories: One group added a drink daily of 39 milligrams of caffeine and the other group added a green tea drink with 625 milligrams of catechins. After 12 weeks of observation, those that were drinking green tea had lost 2 pounds more than the control group, a total of 4.4 pounds. The group that consumed green tea also had a reduction in abdominal, subcutaneous abdominal fat as well as triglycerides.

“The findings of this study suggest that consumption of a beverage containing green tea catechins (625mg/d) may enhance exercise-induced loss of abdominal fat and improve circulating FFA and TG levels. Additional research is warranted to further clarify the mechanisms responsible for these effects.”

In addition to cetechins, green tea is rich in other antioxidants such as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG ). EGCG is believed to be responsible for stimulating the release of fat in to the blood stream after which it is  flushed out of the body. Green tea also increases a process called thermogenesis or the production of heat in the body. Green tea is also a source of caffeinne which also plays a role in the thermogenesis process. 

Green tea weight loss studies have been performed and have shown that green tea could also boost the athletic endurance by up to 24%.  In a recent study in Japan, mice that were given a green tea extract that would be the equivalent to drinking 4 cups of green ta per day. The mice achieved an improvement in endurance of between 8-24% and also displayed and increase in capacity for exercise and caloried burning after 10 weeks.

The study was designed to include 33 chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients being treated with doses of EGCG polyphenols in the range of 400-2,000 mg milligrams twice daily.

“We found not only that patients tolerated the green tea extract at very high doses, but that many of them saw regression to some degree of their CLL,” Shanafelt said. 

 There were two noticeable improvements in symptoms of CLL: 1) An increase in white blood cell counts and 2) and decrease in swelling of the lymph nodes. Lymph nodes decreased by 20 percent or more in 15 of 33 patients with 11 of them experiencing the improvement for two months.  Of 12 of the patients who began the study with swollen lymph nodes, 11 of them experienced a decrease of swelling of 50 percent or more.

Researchers hope that EGCG would provide at least a better quality of life for the patient as well as improving the effectiveness of traditional treatments. At this time, CLL is an incurable, aggressive disease with a fatality rate of 50 percent. 

Other benefits have been reported incuding green tea and weight loss, lowering blood pressure, lowering cholesterol, reducing inflammation and infections. Here is a good kidney cancer information website.

Green Tea and Thermogenesis

A recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that consuming green tea significantly increased energy expenditure. Plus, green tea has a component that increases fat oxidation as well. Some believe that the effects of green tea on fat could be caused by the caffeine but studies on the isolated caffeine have found that there is little effect stimulating fat oxidation. Researcher s believe that there is a synergistic effect that is caused by epigallocatechins (EGCG) and caffeine together to initiate these effects on fat loss.

This study also showed that there are great implications for weight loss. A 4% average increase in a 24 hour energy expenditure was due to the green tea extract. Also, the study found that the 4% increase actually was the equivalent of a 35-43% daily increase in thermogenesis because the body’s daily energy expenditure is due to it’s own thermogenesis. What does all of this mean? Basically, green tea helps to turn up your metabolism and assists your body in burning fat and calories as well as using EGCG to release fats in to the blood stream to be flushed out.

Can I Lose Weight by Simply Drinking Green Tea?

In short, possibly. For some, drinking green tea alone may be enough to begin see positive changes in your body. However,  the better solution is to use green tea as part of a bigger plan.  Here is the ideal lifestyle plan that includes green tea:

• Drink 4-5 cups of green tea per day or supplement your diet with green tea extract or green tea pills. See below on and selecting and using nutritional supplements.
• 20-30 minutes of exercise- this may  include walking, running, weight lifting, bicycling, hiking or any physcial activity you prefer. The point here is to get your heart rate up for 20 to 30 minutes, burn calories and begin to change your lifestyle! Pick some exercises that you enjoy and keep it interesting.
• Change your diet! This means eating a balance of protein, carbs. and vegetables. The rule of thumb is that your your portions should be equivalent to the palm of your hand. Also, cut out daily practices that you know are not helping you meet your goal, like eating that candy bar in mid day, drinking cokes instead of water or eating too much bread or pasta. This is a lifestyle change and will take a little time developing new disciplines but well worth the effort. Fitness nutrition is crucial for you to reach your goal… learn as much as you can about proper diet and then develop some daily disciplines, there aren’t any shortcuts! A home master cleanse could also be very beneficial as well.
• Supplement your diet… intelligently! Not every nutritional supplement or supplement company are the same.  Be sure and get high quality supplements that meet Good Manufacturing Standards (GMPs). That means that have the active ingredients standardized in each capsule they claim to have.  Good nutritional companies adhere to these standards, just do some research first! Here are the basic supplements to consider: vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, essential fatty acids, glyconutrients,  phytosterols and of course… green tea.  Also, there are certain muscle recovery supplements that can help you rebound quickly from workouts as well as foods that help a great deal as well.
• Get a partner to work out with! Having someone that you can be accountable to can be the difference in whether you will be successful or not.  You both need someone who will be honest with each other, pick each other up when your down and enjoy your successes together. 

Green tea is an amazing drink and supplement and some folks can see results in weight loss with it alone. But green tea and weight loss is a partnership; for most it is going to require a lifestyle change so don’t think of it as a stand alone product. Include it in to part of your new lifestyle… it could be an important peice to the puzzle that you have been missing.

The Facts about Green Tea

What are people claiming green tea will do for you? The apparent health benefits are becoming more and more evident.  Those folks that consistently consume green tea can begin to see these results: 

• Boost fat burning and metabolism
• Protect and boost immune system
• Block fat absorption
• Promote healthier skin
• Boost focus and cognitive function
• Fight the aging process
• Protect the body against diseases
• Promote oral health

How Does Green Tea Work?

Green tea is derived from a shrub called Camellia sinensis. All teas that are sold commercially in fact come from this variety of Camellia with the difference in the tea products being how they are processed. The teas go through a process called oxidation; the more oxidized the Camellia leaves become the darker the finished product is. Oxidation is the aging of a cell or an organism. The benefits of green tea come from the fact that the nutritional components (like it’s antioxidant polyphenol) of the Camellia plant have not be processed out through oxidation.

Antioxidants are responsible for neutralizing free radicals in our body. They are “free radical scavengers” that actually neutralize free radicals by giving up an electron to the free radical to neutralize it. As our cells use oxygen, they produce free radicals as a bi-product which in turn can cause cell damage, mutation or even cell death.  A good example of free radical damage is to cut open an apple and let it sit on the kitchen counter for a couple of hours. Over time you will notice that the apple begins to turn brown. That is oxidation or free radical damage which can result from everything from smoking to exercise. Free radicals are being tied to the onset of diseases such as heart disease, cancer and stroke to name a few.

Green tea is rich in antioxidants called polyphenols, the same phytochemical in red wine that has been linked to many health benefits like the prevention of cancer, heart disease and stroke. One antioxidant in particular that is responsible for increased weight loss is epigallocatechin gallate. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG ) is responsible for stimulating the release of fat in to the blood stream and then flushed out of the body. This process is called “thermogenesis” or the production of heat in the body. The caffeine found in green tea assists in this process as well.

The green tea weight loss products that are on the market today will produce results based on their quality of green tea extract. We will be exploring different products in the future for quality, value and results.