Will Green Tea Help You Lose Weight?

Green tea has been consumed for ages in countries like India, China and Japan. It has also long been applauded for its contributions to a person's overall health. Now it seems that every type of media is advertising green tea as the perfect weight loss remedy. While it is not necessarily a cure-all, it may indeed help you on your way to achieving your goal weight.

Green Tea and Your Metabolism

• Clinical studies suggest that green tea can boost your metabolism and help you to burn fat. For example, a study conducted by the University of Geneva in 1999 gave 10 men one of the following three times daily:
  -Green tea extract with 50mg of caffeine and 90mg of green tea's potent antioxidant, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)
  -50mg of caffeine
  -A placebo
  The study found that men who consumed the green tea extract had a 4 percent increase in daily metabolism, whereas men who consumed just caffeine experienced no metabolic increase. Some speculate that substances in green tea known as polyphenols (specifically the catechins) are what aid in burning fat.

Green Tea and Your Appetite

• A study published by "Clinical Nutrition" suggests that green tea may help support weight loss by maintaining a sense of fullness and suppressing hunger. In a study that supports this claim, scientists at the University of Chicago found that rats lost as much as 21 percent of their body weight after being injected with a green tea extract. The rats consumed up to 60 percent less food after a week of daily injections. Green tea is known to regulate blood sugar and this may be a related factor.

Green Tea and Your Cholesterol

• According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, research shows that green tea can lower total cholesterol and help raise HDL (good) cholesterol in animals and people. One study in particular found that men who drank green tea were more likely to have lower total cholesterol levels than men who did not drink green tea. An animal study suggested that green tea may help block the intestines from absorbing cholesterol and, instead, help it to be excreted from the body.

Green Tea and Extra Calories

• On days when you might otherwise be drinking a cup of coffee with sugar and cream, opting to drink green tea instead can save you from consuming extra calories.

Warning

• Some people experience negative side effects from caffeine. If you have high blood pressure or are sensitive to stimulants, you may want to use a green tea extract instead of drinking caffeinated green tea. Consult a doctor if you would like to drink green tea but are not sure if it will negatively affect your health.