Green Tea Also Has Anticancer Properties
Green tea, which has been reported to have anticancer properties and to raise levels of antioxidants in the blood that may ward off heart disease, now appears to have the potential to promote weight loss. A new study in the March issue of the International Journal of Obesity concludes that green tea extract increases the burning of calories and fat needed to lose weight.
Green Tea In Liquid Or Capsule May Aid In Weight Loss
Previous animal studies showed that green tea extract increased thermogenesis, which is the generation of body heat that occurs as a result of normal digestion, absorption, and metabolization of food. In previous human studies, the authors showed that consumption of green tea increased thermogenesis as well as energy expenditure and fat loss in healthy men, suggesting that green tea in liquid or capsule form may be an effective way to aid weight loss.
In the new study, conducted by Abdul Dulloo, from the Institute of Physiology at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland, researchers exposed a particular type of fatty tissue from rats to caffeine and to green tea extract containing small concentrations of caffeine.
Green Tea Containing Caffeine Can Raise Metabolism
Green tea containing caffeine significantly increased thermogenesis by 28% to 77%, depending on dose, whereas caffeine alone resulted in no significant increase. When the stimulant ephedrine was added to green tea with caffeine, the increase was even more significant compared with caffeine alone and ephedrine alone. Caffeine and ephedrine are used together in some herbal weight loss preparations, but there are many safety concerns regarding ephedrine because it raises heart rate and blood pressure.
Dulloo and colleagues also tested the plant compound EGCG found in green tea. They found that the stimulant ephedrine alone had no effect on thermogenesis, but that caffeine plus ephedrine resulted in an 84% increase. However, adding EGCG to the caffeine plus ephedrine mix increased thermogenesis even further.
"Our studies ... raise the possibility that the therapeutic potential of the green tea extract, or indeed a combination of EGCG and caffeine, may be extended to the management of obesity," Dulloo and co-authors write.
A researcher who reviewed the study for WebMD says that while the work is interesting and extends this group's previous findings by showing that compounds in green tea other than caffeine are involved in thermogenesis, caution should be used in interpreting animal data and applying it to humans.
"They used [a particular type of fatty tissue] from rats and we don't really know how significant that tissue is in humans or if it is different in obese vs. non-obese people," says Sheri Zidenberg-Cherr, PhD. "It doesn't rule out the significance of the findings, and it is a good model to use to look at the effects of caffeine and the combination of caffeine and the [plant] compounds that are present in green tea, but until better clinical trials are done in humans, it's hard to say what the physiological significance of this actually may be."
Zidenberg-Cherr, who is an associate professor of nutrition at the University of California, Davis, also points out that thermogenesis plays only a very small role in energy expenditure in adults. Most of the energy expended is used to maintain basic body functions such as breathing and the flow of blood throughout the body.
She says green tea may have many health benefits due to its plant compounds, but cautions that it is not the answer to weight-loss woes. "Green tea can't be used, and it shouldn't be used, as a 'magic bullet' for weight loss," she tells WebMD. "You've got to combine it with other changes, including increasing physical activity and reducing a high-calorie diet."
You may reprint or publish this article free of charge as long as the bylines are included.
Original URL (The Web version of the article): drinking green tea may help you lose weight
About The Author
Michael Lewis has been collecting articles and information on Weight Loss and HGH (Human Growth Hormone and related health benefits. He has created and edits numerous web sites about this subject. Michael is a staff writer for drinking green tea may help you lose weight and several otherwebsites. If you would like to contact Michael you can e-mail him at drinking green tea may help you lose weight If you would like to know more about Weight Loss, HGH (Human Growth Hormone) and related health topics please visit us at drinking green tea may help you lose weight.
Wow! You must be on fire by now burning and... Read More
Yes Virginia, the fail-safe weight loss formula exists.It's so simple,... Read More
Do you compete in sports for weight loss or fat... Read More
Lose The Weight For Good With The Seven Phases of... Read More
If you are a mom at home on a diet,... Read More
"Life would be perfect if only I was thin." That... Read More
Have You Given Up on Weight Loss? by Greg Landry,... Read More
A reader recently wrote to ask why I don't include... Read More
Fighting obesity has become one of the most important issues... Read More
The best way you can get rid of your pop... Read More
The debate about whether supplements for weight loss are healthy... Read More
Protein is an essential nutrient necessary for maintaining good health.... Read More
You don't realize it, but in the next few minutes... Read More
Most men and women put on weight differently. But on... Read More
Yoga is wonderful for nurturing a state of mental and... Read More
Don't diet, just eat and lose weight!First, the following "diet"... Read More
With the popularity of low carb diets such as Atkins,... Read More
Are you dieting your way to bone loss?Are you aware... Read More
To upgrade the current software in your brain you can... Read More
Thankfully, winter does not last forever! In the spring there... Read More
I'm sick of all the fad diets I see people... Read More
Now this is the real American Dream! I'm here to... Read More
Gastric bypass patients face a great task in the following... Read More
As our country gains weight at an alarming rate, we... Read More
You gain weight when your calorie intake is more than... Read More
West Dundee Lincoln Stretch limo rentals ..One pound of fat equals 3500 calories. Want to lose... Read More
A 'diet' is always seen as a temporary measure. An... Read More
With all of the conflicting studies and fuzzy interpretation of... Read More
Weight Loss tipsAll throughout my childhood and teenage years I... Read More
Have you ever wished for a diet where you ate... Read More
You need to reset your weight-o-stat. No matter how much... Read More
Food is not simply fuel to keep you going. Nor... Read More
If you're a low carb diet enthusiast, you've probably tried... Read More
Fat has had a lot of bad press and for... Read More
There is no question that having a massage makes you... Read More
Diet and Exercise. They are the inseparable twins that are... Read More
1. What is my BMI and how do I calculate... Read More
Have you ever dreaded the idea of pulling weeds, planting... Read More
Eating when under stress isn't just about filling an emotional... Read More
One of the most popular diets is the low carb... Read More
If you are traveling on the path towards wellness you... Read More
Do you know the name of that one disease which... Read More
Telling yourself you have to "struggle with this weight issue... Read More
What do I mean by that?Well, carrots are good for... Read More
To understand how surgical procedures aid the grossly overweight person... Read More
When you have started a diet in the past, how... Read More
Dietitians just plain don't like low-carb or high-protein diets.Whether it's... Read More
April 14, 2005 federal judge Tena Campbell of the federal... Read More
The term 'thermogenic' refers to a group of drugs or... Read More
Let's face when it comes to overweight and obesity there... Read More
Weight Loss |