Green Tea: Does It Really Promote Weight Loss?

Weight loss remedies have been discussed and talked over since time immemorial. Weight issues are a significant concern, especially in the modern-day world that has been characterized by unhealthy lifestyles that lead to so many lifestyles related health complications. Green tea and weight loss are two terms that have been used interchangeably especially in the recent past. The question as to whether green tea really helps promote weight loss is one that has received both positive and negative criticisms in equal measure. Here is an overview of green tea for weight loss.

First and foremost, green tea contains no calories, hence it may trigger weight loss, i.e. if you take the tea without adding sugar, milk, or any other additives. It also contains caffeine, a substance that increases thermogenesis in the body. Thermogenesis is the biological process of burning calories.

Also worth mentioning is that green tea prevents fat absorption in the body and also plays an integral role in the regulation of glucose. This is attributed to catechins, substances that help prevent the free movement of glucose in and out of fat cells. Experts believe that it helps with the regulation of blood sugar levels after taking meals, which inhibits high insulin spikes and the resulting storage of fat.

According to research conducted by the University of Chicago, it was discovered that green tea triggered up to 21% of weight loss in rats. The study was conducted were the rats that were injected with green tea extracts significantly lost their appetites and ended up eating up to 60% less food after seven consecutive days of daily doses of green tea. This is attributed to blood sugar regulation properties found in green tea.

It is essential to mention that green tea is not a magic weight-loss bullet. In other words, you should not expect to consume 5000 calories a day, take several cups of green tea, and expect all calories to melt away just like that. The secret word here is to know how to balance. A healthy diet complemented by regular exercises will help accelerate the pace at which green tea will help you lose weight and keep it off permanently.

Another point that you need to keep in mind is that if you have heart problems, are sensitive to stimulants, or have high blood pressure, you might want to watch your intake of green tea because of the caffeine property in it. The last thing you would want is to lose weight while building another severe health problem. If you are concerned about the caffeine found in green tea, you can try to use green tea extracts instead, as most of it is extracted from decaffeinated green tea.

Bottom line

If weight loss is one of your top most health priorities in life, you may want to consider green tea as a remedy. Studies conducted show that some substances contained in green tea can have weight loss promotion effects, e.g. accelerating the pace at which your metabolism works and suppressing appetite. While the tea may not necessarily help you achieve your weight loss goals on its own, there is some proof that complementing green tea with other weight loss measures such as regular exercise can be a big boon to your weight loss efforts.