- There’s nothing like a cup of green tea to get you through a long stressful day. It has a way of providing energy, soothing the soul, and refreshing your spirits.
- Green tea has been used for millenniums in Asia as a potent tonic for its health benefits. It is made from leaves that are unfermented, which gives it higher polyphenol antioxidant content than most teas.
- Now according to an animal study from Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, green tea may boost weight loss.
- The study was conducted with mice that were fed a diet with high amounts of fat and exercised regularly. They were also fed decaffeinated green tea extract. The mice showed an average body mass reduction of 27.1 percent and an average abdominal mass reduction of 36.6 percent.
- Mice that were fed green tea extract but did not exercise, or those that exercised but were not given green tea did not experience significant changes like the mice who exercised and ingested green tea, explained Joshua Lambert, the head of the study.
- “What is significant about this research is that we report for the first time that voluntary exercise in combination with green tea extract reduced symptoms of metabolic syndrome and diet-induced obesity in high-fat-fed mice more significantly than either treatment alone,” he said. “The changes in body weight and body fat may result from increased fat metabolism and decreased fat synthesis. Green tea seems to modulate genes related to energy metabolism,” Lambert added.
- Joshua Lambert also pointed out that people may be able to reap the same benefits that the mice did.
- “I think we can make that leap. When we put together our animal model experiments, we try to mimic the human situation as much as possible, so the dose of decaffeinated green tea that we used in this study is the equivalent of 8 to 10 cups of green tea a day, which is a lot for some people. But there are many people out there who are heavy, regular tea consumers,” Lambert stated.
- There are three ingredients in green tea that help promote weight loss: Catechins, caffeine and theanine. These compounds work together to block the enzymes responsible for storing fats in the body. Green tea is also very low in calories.
- More studies need to be done on humans to prove the effectiveness of green tea for weight loss, but the results look positive.
- “It looks promising for people, but somebody will have to do this experiment with people to definitively show that green tea and exercise together have a beneficial effect in humans,” Lambert concluded.
- We love and recommend Numi Tea.
- Note: The content on our website is for educational purposes only. Please consult your health practitioner or a qualified expert.
- For the health benefits of green tea.
- The truth behind the teas you are drinking.
- How to make your own iced tea.
- REFERENCES:
- 1. “Research Suggests That Green Tea, Exercise Boost Weight Loss, Health.” Penn State News. Penn State, 02 Apr. 2014. Web. 12 Apr. 2014.
- 2. “Green Tea.” University of Maryland Medical Center. University of Maryland Medical Center, n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2014.
