The drinking of tea has been around for at least 500,000 years mainly from India and China.
Green tea in particular has been known for its therapeutic effects, one benefit that it has become popular is its effect on weight loss. It also has been used as a stimulant, diuretic (to promote the excretion of urine), astringent (to control bleeding and heal wounds), and improve heart health. It is also helpful with flatulence (gas), regulating body temperature and blood sugar, promoting digestion, and improving mental processes.
Within green tea there is a powerful antioxidant known as EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) that has thermogenic properties (fat burning).
This antioxidant also inhibits the growth of cancer cells; it is also helpful for:
- High cholesterol levels
- Rheumatoid arthritis • Cardiovascular disease
- Infection
- Impaired immune function
- Tooth decay
- Atherosclerosis
- Liver disease
- Diabetes
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition states that green tea extract is the most effective metabolism boosters that naturally occur in a plant or herb. The metabolic rate is increased by 4% within a 24-hour time frame. Researches say that the polyphenols, specifically the catechins, are responsible for the herbs fat burning effects.
It releases antioxidants into the blood stream and help the fat burn faster and helps the body absorb the calories and convert them into muscle or energy. It also helps with appetite suppression and are natural and therefore completely absorbed.
In a recent study at the University of Geneva, researchers concluded, "Green tea has thermogenic properties and promotes fat oxidation beyond that explained by its caffeine content per se".
Previously it was believed that the caffeine content in green tea has this effect even though the content is low, much lower than coffee and regular tea. The weight loss benefits of green tea can be due to the fact that it prevents fat from being stored, increases protein levels, and promotes thermogenesis by triggering beta-adrenoceptor to action.
In a 2002 issue of Phytomedicine Dr's P.Chantre and D. Lairon of the Laboratories Arkopharma in Carros, France, the green leafs extract AR25 (Exolise) was analysed for its activity in the treatment of obesity. They found that the extract could directly inhibit gastric and pancreatic lipases, which are the primary cause of fat storage, concluding that green tea exhibits a weight loss effect that can solve obesity problems.
They also found that green tea can stimulate thermogenesis, given to moderately obese patients it caused a decrease of 4.6% in weight and a reduction of waist circumference by 4.48% after only 3 months, confirming its weight loss benefits.
The polyphenols in green tea are the antioxidants that are classified as catechins, which give it its bitter taste; It also contains 6 catechins, EGCG being the most studied and most active.
It also contains alkaloids which include caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline, which are the teas stimulating effects. L-theanine is an amino acid compound found and has calming effects on the nervous system.
Green tea does contain caffeine therefore should be used cautiously and should be avoided by pregnant and breast-feeding women.
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