Tea is the second most-consumed drink in the world, preceded only by water. And green tea, one of the most popular of the teas, contains nutrients that supposedly help melt away pounds. Unfortunately, research shows that the tea may not be the solution to your weight problem, and it's no replacement for a healthy diet and exercise program. If you're struggling with your weight, talk to your doctor for suggestions as to how to go about losing it and whether green tea makes a healthy addition.
Find out if the green stuff's weight-loss power extends to flavored ice cream, iced tea, and extract. I'll admit it: I had a mini celebration when I learned green tea has the incredible power to shift your fat-fighting metabolism into high gear. And, yes, I kicked my heels in the air when I found research suggesting that exercisers who drink green tea lose twice as much weight as those who don't.
Fast forward to me pushing a shopping-cart-full of green tea products around my local grocery store. I was buying green tea everything. Ice cream, noodles, etc. Who was I fooling? The weight-loss benefits are in the epigallocatechin gallate (a.k.a. EGCG, a health-boosting antioxidant) found in green tea. Not the green tea flavor...
Green tea, because it's less processed, has a higher concentration of polyphenols, also called catechins, then any other types of tea, including black and oolong. The catechins in the green tea are one of the active ingredients linked to weight loss. They might prevent the accumulation of body fat, as well as increase body temperature so you burn more calories.
Green tea is also a source of caffeine. Caffeine helps your body burn both calories and fat, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements, burning 9 extra calories for every 100 milligrams of caffeine you drink.
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