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Green tea

All teas (green, black and oolong) are derived from the same plant, camellia sinensis. The difference is in how the leaves are prepared. Green tea is prepared by picking, lightly steaming and allowing the leaves to dry. Due to differences in the fermentation process, portions of the active compounds are destroyed in black tea, but remain active in green tea. The active constituents in green tea have a powerful effect on body fat, accelerating both the loss of stored fat and reducing fat storage.It's effect on the metabolic rate makes green tea extract suitable or anyone who wants to lose weight faster or reduce the size of their waist.Green tea contains vitamins, minerals, and caffeine, but the primary constituents of interest are the polyphenols, particularly the catechin (pronounced kat-a-kin) called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). The polyphenols are believed to be responsible for most of green tea's roles in promoting good health [3].

Green tea has been shown to mildly lower total cholesterol levels and improve the cholesterol profile (decreasing LDL “bad” cholesterol and increasing HDL “good” cholesterol) [4]. Research suggests as much as 10 cups of green tea per day is necessary to obtain noticeable benefits from green tea ingestion [5].

What's more, green tea extract (which contains high levels of EGCG) has been shown in a recent trial at the University of Geneva to speed up the rate at which stored fat is burned for energy by over 30% [1]. Three months of supplementation with green tea extract alone - without any diet or exercise - has also been shown to accelerate weight loss and reduce waist size [2].

The study, published in the prestigious journal Phytotherapy Research, shows that as well as boosting the metabolic rate, green tea extract helps to block the absorption of fat. In other words, not only does green tea extract help you to lose the fat you've already got, it also reduces the amount of fat you digest and store on your waist, thighs, chest or hips.

It's important to remember all of the research showing the effect of green tea on fat loss used green tea extract, and not the drink. Although a drink of green tea does contain a small amount of EGCG, you'd need almost 10 cups a day to reach the doses used in the research. What's more, there's no guarantee that the particular brand or type of green tea you drink will contain the precise amount of EGCG needed. Many factors, such as the time it was harvested, how it was processed, and how long it was stored, will affect the potency and purity of the tea.

In much the same way that the size of the engine determines how powerful a car is, the effectiveness of green tea extract depends on how much of the active ingredient it contains. Any type of green tea product you buy should state on the label that it contains a standardised amount of polyphenols. If it doesn't have this information, there's no guarantee that it will work as well as the products tested in the research. Look for green tea extract standardised to at least 90% (preferably 95%) polyphenols.
Green tea extract is most effective in a dose of 200-300 milligrams per day, split into 3 divided doses.Combined with a healthy diet and programme of regular exercise, green tea extract will help you lose weight faster than diet and exercise alone. When green tea extract is combined with other thermogenic nutrients (see below) you can expect to lose 1-3 pounds of fat each week, until you reach your target weight.Although green tea extract is highly effective when taken alone, most weight loss experts believe that combining it with other thermogenic ingredients such as Caffeine and Bitter Orange Peel will prove even more effective for promoting fat loss.

1. Dulloo, A. G. (1999) Efficacy of a green tea extract ich in catechin polyphenols and caffeine in increasing 24-h energy xpenditure and fat oxidation in humans. American Journal of Clinical utrition, 70, 1040-1045
2. Chantre P, Lairon D. (2002). Recent findings of green tea extract R25 (Exolise) and its activity for the treatment of obesity. Phytomedicine, 9, 3-8
3. Graham HN. (1992). Green tea composition, consumption, and polyphenol hemistry. Preventive Medicine, 21, 334-350
4. Kono S, Shinchi K, Ikeda N. (1992). Green tea consumption and serum ipid profiles: A cross-sectional study in Northern Kyushu, Japan. Preventive edicine, 21, 526-531
5. Imai K, Nakachi K. (1995). Cross sectional study of effects of drinking reen tea on cardiovascular and liver diseases. British Medical Journal, 310, 693-696

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