|
A Spot of Tea: Green Tea for Weight Loss
With all of the diet tricks out there, it is hard to determine which weight loss methods are legitimate. Some, like
green tea, sound almost too good to be true. I mean, come on—simply drink the stuff and lose weight? How many
people believe that? But scientific research shows that this is, in fact, true. Not only that, but green tea has
other additional health benefits as well.
Green tea has been considered a folklore medicine since the first Chinese Dynasty. They believed that green tea
could remedy rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and some immune deficiencies. Although it took
scientists until 1994 to publicly acknowledge the benefits of green tea for weight loss, this has not prevented
green tea for weight loss from becoming one of the most widely tested theories.
So What Are The Benefits?
Green tea is high in antioxidants; specifically in epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Scientific studies have shown
that EGCG can prevent the growth of new cancer cells, as well as kill some existing cancer cells. EGCG has also
been shown to limit the growth of blood clots, which can lead to stroke and heart attack.
Besides these health benefits, green tea can help you to lose weight. This is because it increases metabolism and
naturally burns fat with the help of catechin polyphenols. Green tea contains high levels of this anti-oxidant, and
the compound works to increase levels of fat oxidation in the body. Additionally, green tea allows for the slow
release of carbohydrates, which will prevent sharp increases in the levels of your blood-insulin. This in turn
allows for more fat to be burned. Additionally, EGCG induces the movement of glucose in fat cells, which helps to
reduce body fat levels.
The Down Side: Caffeine
One disadvantage that prevents many people from drinking green tea is that green tea does contain caffeine. The
amount of caffeine found in green tea is significantly less then that found in coffee, sodas, and other teas. If
you are interested in trying green tea but you hate drinking tea, you are not out of luck. There are many types of
green tea capsules and supplements that work just as well as green tea itself. Additionally, some of these
alternatives supplement the caffeine in green tea with other chemicals. So if you are looking for a legitimate way
to lose weight, give green tea a try. You have nothing to lose, except your waist line.
| 
Delicious
Google Bookmarks
Stumbleupon
Digg
BlinkList
Blogmarks
Facebook
Ma.gnolia
Reddit
Twitter
Yahoo My Web
Livejournal