The Weight Loss Benefit of Green Tea

Asians have regarded green tea as something more than just a beverage for over 4,000 years. This tea was used as herbal medicine and treatment for everything from headaches to depressions and even weight loss.

Researches have been conducted over the last few years to identify what compound present in this Chinese tea makes it a potent health drink. The scientists have found green tea contains several antioxidants which are responsible for many of green tea’s health benefits, including weight loss.

A research study undertaken by American and Swiss scientists on the potential weight loss benefit of Chinese green tea was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and Urology. During the course of the study, the scientists found green tea contains certain compounds that contribute to weight loss.

Lead researcher, D. Abdul Dulloo said in a press release there are only two ways to lose weight – reduce caloric intake or increase energy expenditure. Green tea contains certain compounds that increase the body’s metabolic rate, giving it potential weight loss benefits.

At the University of Geneva, where the study was conducted, Dr. Dulloo and his colleagues experimented on ten healthy young men. They theorized the main contributor to green tea’s weight loss benefit is the caffeine content.

To test their theory the study’s participants ate a typical “Western” diet, typically forty percent fat, thirteen percent protein, and forty-seven percent carbohydrates.

Three times each day the researchers measured the subjects’ energy expenditure and monitored their respiration quotient to discover how well they utilized the carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

When they reviewed the collected data, they discovered the men consuming green tea extract had a significant increase in their 24-hour energy expenditure and a reduction in their respiration quotient. This means that more fat was burned, which contributes to maximum weight loss.

On the other hand, those men given only caffeine or a placebo with every meal showed minimal increases in metabolic rates.

The scientists concluded that the substance catechin polyphenol present in green tea contributes to its weight loss benefit. This substance in green tea may alter how the body uses the hormone norepinephrine which is responsible for increasing the metabolic rate, which leads to weight loss.

In their conclusion, the scientists believe green tea owes its weight loss benefit to the presence of antioxidants and the substance catechin polyphenol. These substances help increase fat and calorie burning and optimize weight loss.