Green tea is widely recognized as being one of the healthier beverages. There are numerous health benefits to drinking green tea on a regular basis: more energy, a lower risk of cancer, a slowing of the aging process, and more. Green tea can also be used to help people lose weight. It is not a magical elixir that will cause the pounds to immediately start shedding, but if drunk regularly, it can contribute to weight loss.
One of the ways that green tea can contribute to weight loss is by how it affects glucose. Fat cells are created by the body when there is an excess of sugars and fats in the system. This extra content can’t be used by the body right away and so it is stored for a later date when there is not enough sugars and fats coming in. A part of green tea called catechins inhibits the movement of glucose in our bodies and so fat cells do not form as readily. This helps lead to a reduction in fat cells and therefore a loss in weight.
Green tea also affects the speed and movement of carbohydrates. When carbohydrates are released quickly, there is a sharp increase in blood-insulin levels, which can lead to the formation and solidification of fat cells. Green tea helps slow down the release of carbohydrates, which allows fat to be burned rather than stored.
Green tea’s mix of caffeine and catechin-polyphenols, in particular epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), work well together to slow the release of carbohydrates. This burning of fat is called the thermogenic effect and it tells your body to keep burning the fat rather than storing it. Green tea is especially useful in prolonging this process. Usually caffeine alone will increase your metabolism during the time you take it, but the mix of caffeine and EGCG will work together to increase the thermogenic effect over 24 hours, providing you with more energy.
This burning of fat, or fat oxidation, is created naturally through green tea, and will avoid a lot of the side effects that can be caused by taking supplements to achieve the same result. The compounds found in green tea are a natural synthesion that mix with the chemicals in our bodies to create a safe and natural level of fat oxidation.
Research has shown that drinking about 5 cups of green tea per day could result in about an extra 75 calories being burned. Obviously this is not a huge number but it can make a difference. Drinking only green tea and continuing with your current routine would mean losing about one pound after a month and a half. This is probably not fast enough for most people, but the natural health and weight loss benefits of green tea are greater when used in conjunction with other dieting methods.
Green tea alone won’t cause huge drops in weight, but it can help effectively, especially when done with other dieting techniques. Proper exercise, a balanced series of meals every day, and other healthy living actions can combine with the benefits of green tea to help increase and maintain weight loss.
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