Obesity has become one of the major health issues in our society today. More than half of the American population is overweight or obese. As a result, diet and weight loss plans have become increasingly popular. But not all diet plans work. And not all of them are necessarily risk-free. A safer alternative for people wanting to lose weight are green tea diets.
For thousands of years, green tea diet has been highly valued by the Chinese as an herbal and medicinal drink. It was believed that green tea diet was first discovered by the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung who was boiling water when the leaves of a nearby tree fell into his pot. The result was the first ever pot of green tea.
Like all three of the major Asian teas in the market, green tea comes from the plant called Carmellia sinensis.
Much of the health benefits of green tea diets owe to the steaming method of making it. As opposed to black and oolong tea which undergoes full oxidization, green tea diet is only gently steamed, preserving the natural antioxidants in its original form.
There are many health benefits associated with having a green tea diet. One of these green tea diet benefits is preventing cancer. Certain substances present in green tea diets are said to help in destroying cancer cells without harming any neighboring tissues. This substance in green tea diets is called Epigallocatechin Gallate or EGCG.
EGCG in green tea diets is also helpful in increasing the 24-hour energy expenditure of the body. A study on green tea diets conducted by American and Swiss scientists in the University of Geneva showed an additional increase of four percent in the body's natural energy expenditure. People who were on a green tea diet were more likely to use up more fats than those not on a green tea diet.
Also, green tea diets are said to greatly help in lowering down cholesterol levels in humans. The study on green tea diets was conducted in China using 240 people with high cholesterol levels as subjects. These people were placed on a green tea diet of one capsule (equivalent to seven cups of green tea) or were given one placebo every day. After twelve weeks, those who were on a green tea diet dropped sixteen percent in their cholesterol levels.
Green tea diets can also be a potential cure obesity. The Catechin Polyphenols present in green tea diets can delay the reaction of gastric and pancreatic lipases in the body. These enzymes are responsible for converting calories in the body into fats. By delaying these enzymes, green tea diets can therefore stop fat from being stored and prevent obesity in people.
Green tea diets contain substantial amount of caffeine that make it a mild appetite-suppressant. However, caffeine content in green tea diets is not as high as those found in other caffeine-based beverages, like coffee. Caffeine may be harmful for the body since an excess of it can cause heart palpitations, hypertension, and insomnia. Because green tea diets contain only very low levels of caffeine, there is no danger of experiencing these side-effects.
Author Gellert Varga is a Diet expert. His articles can be found on
Amazing Green Tea Weight Loss.
Researchers have been studying green tea to discover what substance in the green tea makes it such a strong health drink and diet aid. They found green tea has a high number of antioxidants that contribute to your health.
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition wrote on the benefits of green tea. American and Swiss scientists conducted the research at the University of Geneva. Their findings decided green tea diet aid has compounds that promote thermogenesis in the body.
Dr. Abdul Dulloo stated diet aid is achieved by reducing energy intake or increasing energy outtake. Green tea has substances that can increase metabolic rates in the body and curb appetite. This makes green tea diet aid perfect for helping with weight loss. This is great news for many people looking for a diet supplement that is safe and easy to take.
Dr. Dullo and his staff selected ten healthy men for their experiments. They believed caffeine was the main source in green tea diet responsible for weight loss. They had the men in the study group follow a Western diet. The diet consisted of forty percent fat, thirteen percent protein and forty-seven percent carbohydrates.
Each day the staff measured the calories burned in a 24-hour period three times. They also checked the group's use of their carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. In addition their respiration was checked.
The results showed men given the green tea diet aid showed a four-percent increase in their 24-hour energy. The men taking the green tea diet aid also had lower respiration quotient. This caused more fats to be burned. The group not given green tea diet aid showed only slight increases in metabolic rates and no decline in respiration quotient.
The researcher found the substance catechin polyphenol, found in green tea is a strong diet aid. The substances in green tea change the way the body uses norepinephrine. Norepinephrine is a hormone that increases metabolism.
In summary Dr Dullo and his staff found that green teas diet benefits are from its high antioxidant content and the presence of catechin polyphenol. This combination helps the body to speed up fat and calorie burning. It's this combination that helps with weight loss
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At any given time, over 40% of women report being on a diet to lose weight. Many people are constantly looking for ways to become slimmer and healthier. And, while most of us now realize that there are no magic bullets, it's nice to know the little tricks that can help improve our success at losing weight and keeping it off.
A study reported by the UK Tea Council examined the effects of caffeine and green tea on weight loss to see if either substance could provide benefit in losing weight and keeping it off.
The study evaluated 76 people who were either overweight or moderately obese. During the study, participants were placed on a very low calorie diet for a period of four weeks, after which they were placed on a weight maintenance program for three months. Some of the participants consumed caffeine and some did not.
During the weight loss period, the subjects lost an average of 5.9kg. Those who consumed caffeine lost more weight than those who did not. They also reduced their fat mass and waist circumference more than those who did not consume caffeine. During the weight maintenance period, all of the subjects received either a green tea/caffeine supplement or a placebo. They were instructed to continue their normal caffeine consumption.
During the weight maintenance phase, subjects who took the green tea/caffeine supplement continued to lose weight, even if the only caffeine they consumed was in the form of the supplement. Those who were high caffeine consumers did not see a significant effect from the green tea/caffeine supplement over what they were already experiencing from their caffeine intake.
This study showed using green tea can be an effective way to help you lose weight, even without additional caffeine consumption. This is important news for those who wish to lose weight, but have difficulty with caffeine. Because green tea is much lower in caffeine content than most other caffeinated beverages, it is better tolerated than many other forms of caffeine. For those who do tolerate caffeine well, nearly any caffeinated beverage seems to help you lose weight.
We have just begun to learn the health benefits of green tea, and more research is needed before we can have irrefutable evidence of exactly what benefits it provides and how. But, in the meantime, there is a lot of anecdotal evidence that suggests that green tea offers many benefits both in the area of weight control and other health issues.
In other studies, green tea has been shown to regulate blood sugar naturally, which could be of significant value in the fight against obesity and diabetes. Those whose blood sugar is out of control often have trouble losing weight and are often pre-diabetic, meaning that their blood sugar numbers are high, but not high enough to be classified as diabetic. If green tea can help regulate blood sugar, it may help those who are overweight and those who are pre-diabetic get their blood sugar numbers under control without medication.
Green tea also has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, another illness that often plagues those who struggle with their weight. It appears that green tea reduces the health problems associated with a high level of LDL cholesterol, one of the most significant factors in heart disease.
LDL cholesterol is the bad cholesterol that turns into plaque and sticks to our arteries, causing narrowed arteries. Narrow arteries mean restricted blood flow, which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
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Green tea appears to prevent the LDL cholesterol from hardening; the process that causes it to stick to harden and stick arterial walls. If the LDL cholesterol cannot harden and stick to the arterial walls, then it does not pose the threat that it normally would.
Another important possibility that green tea may offer is the ability to prevent some forms of cancer. This also is good news for those struggling with their weight, as the overweight are at a higher risk of many forms of cancer than those who maintain a normal weight. Green tea has been shown to reduce the risk of breast, prostate, digestive system, lung and pancreatic cancers. We know that, in particular, the overweight are at a higher risk for breast and digestive system cancers.
If you're struggling with your weight, there's no substitute for a healthy diet and regular exercise. Only consistent effort to eat a healthy, low fat and high fiber diet along with an exercise routine you can stick with will provide long term success in maintaining a healthy weight. However, understanding the tips and tricks that can speed your metabolism and burn more fat can help you reach your weight loss goals more easily and ensure that the excess weight is gone for good.
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