Green Tea for Weight Loss

Among the many benefits of green tea, the one that has become more popular is the ability to help us lose weight, to the extent that the new market of “green tea diet pills” was born quickly.

The great thing about green tea is that thanks to the way it is processed, it contains antioxidants that benefit our whole health.  It contains caffeine and polyphenols that increase the rate of calorie burning (thermogenesis), and so, it increases our metabolism speed. This information is backed up by a study reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.  The study concluded that on a day, green tea increases the metabolic rate by 4%. 

Other benefit of green tea for weight loss is that it controls our appetite. Another study made with rats, lead to discover that they lost 21 percent of their body weight thanks to a decrease in their appetite. This may be linked to the benefits it has over glucose regulation.  Green tea helps block the way of glucose to fat cells preventing high insulin levels, and therefore preventing fat storage.

With all these attributes, it is also good to know that green tea alone will not give you the miracle results most people expect.  Losing weight is not as easy as drinking 5 cups of green tea every day; you still need to exercise regularly and ea healthy food.  Many people buy green tea with the mistaken notion that they don’t have to do anything else to lose weight.

If you are planning to us green tea for weight loss, you should also be aware that given its caffeine levels, it is not advisable for people with certain health problems like high pressure, or sensitivity to stimulants. If that is your case, you might do better with a green tea extract free of caffeine.