Believe it or not, more and more often you'll find green tea (or green tea extract) included in the compilations of many of the more popular weight loss supplements today. The benefits of green tea are numerous. Possible benefits are being investigated for weight loss, cancer prevention, antioxidant activity, cognitive enhancement, general good health and well being, the list goes on and on.
First of all, green tea extract is a source of caffeine, and often replaces the caffeine component in the fat burner compilation. It is also a very powerful anti-oxidant, just like vitamin C and beta-carotene. But researchers have suggested that the active ingredient may be up to 200 times more powerful than vitamin E as an oxidant. Green tea may be useful as a glucose regulator - meaning it slows the rise in blood sugar following a meal. Green tea has also helped aid weight loss by increasing the metabolic rate, causing those who use it to experience greater calorie burn. Green tea also causes carbohydrates to be released slowly, preventing sharp increases in blood-insulin levels. This promotes the burning of fat. The thermo genic effect of green tea was originally attributed to its caffeine content. However, green tea stimulates brown fat thermo genesis far greater than a comparable amount of pure caffeine. It appears that the catechin-polyphenols and caffeine that naturally occur in green tea work synergistically to stimulate thermo genesis and augment and prolong sympathetic stimulation of thermo genesis.
In short, green tea's weight loss benefits are a result of several mechanisms. As discussed, these include an increased metabolism, a positive effect on blood sugar and insulin regulation, and possibly the inhibiting of the enzyme amylase, which is required for the processing of carbohydrates. It also has been shown to lower LDL levels (that's the "bad" cholesterol) as well as triglyceride levels. So, should you use green tea for weight loss? - Yes, you should.
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