Green tea is certainly one of the more popular natural weight loss aids out there. It’s often sold in capsule form called green tea extract. There’s even a green tea detox diet in which participants drink multiple glasses of green tea every day for up to ten days to lose weight much faster. Green tea is a powerful antioxidant and when combined with exercise can be extremely helpful in weight loss.
The chemical compound that gives green tea its benefits is called EGCG or epigallocatechin gallates. This is a complex mixture of polyphenols including caffeine, tannic acid, and several other chemicals that have not been studied extensively in the weight management field. It’s difficult to draw firm conclusions about the effects of this compound on weight loss simply by looking at the research. The best way to understand catechins and their weight loss ability is to look at them as healthy stimulants. They may have a few side effects, but overall they are safe.
In general, any natural stimulant is good for the body. It increases your energy levels, makes you feel more active, and ultimately helps you lose weight. Caffeine is no exception. It has diuretic properties that may help you lose weight. While it can make you hungry, if your goal is long-term weight-loss, you may want to consider other beverages, as caffeine can mask hunger pangs.
The problem is that people like to drink tea, especially on hot summer days. This increases the likelihood of dehydration. People who are accustomed to drinking a cup of green-tea in the morning feel hungrier at dinner. If you drink water, it can help cut down on the aftertaste you get from drinking tea. Adding some honey and lemon to your water can be a great substitute, or you may want to try adding a hint of natural sugar. Sugar doesn’t really add much to your diet, but a small amount every day can help cut back on those cravings.
One cup of black tea contains about 4 teaspoons of sugar. This may not seem like a lot of sugar, but black tea packs quite a punch when it comes to burning calories. You’ll also find that the aftertaste is not as bad when you add the sugar–this is because the sweetness of the tea replaces the “sticky” taste of the sugar.
When drinking tea, try to drink the whole cup without a straw. If you’re drinking it with a straw, this can keep the tea “toast” or release the flavor for a longer period of time. The tea doesn’t need all the calories to lose weight. There are many delicious teas out there with very few calories.
Many people don’t realize how important water plays in your overall health and weight gain/loss efforts. The more water that you drink, the faster your metabolism will get going. The metabolism is the key to burning calories, and everyone can benefit from increased metabolism. This is why many athletes will drink green tea while training. Drinking green tea before and after workouts will help speed up your metabolism and keep you on track.
Epigallocatechin gallate is another of those antioxidants. EGCG is the chemical name of the antioxidant found in green tea. This catechism is also found in dark chocolate. Drinking the dark chocolate with this catechin and perhaps some whey protein can help you lose weight. However, there are other powerful antioxidants that should be taken instead.
Research has shown that EGCG has a lot of health benefits. It increases your energy level and can even increase your lifespan. A few of the other compounds that are contained in green tea contains a compound called polyphenols. Polyphenols are also powerful antioxidants and have a great number of health benefits. These compounds not only slow down aging but can also reverse the signs of skin aging.
Green tea also contains catechin polyphenols that can slow the release of ghrelin. This is an appetite suppressant. It can also reduce your body’s release of glucose into your bloodstream, which in turn can contribute to weight loss. Studies have shown that drinking a cup of green tea daily can contribute to weight loss in as little as 3 weeks.
Epigallocatechin gallate also has epigallocatechin and norepinephrine levels. Epigallocatechin and norepinephrine are believed to speed up your metabolism. If your metabolism is running rampant and you’re not doing anything to fight it off, then all of your food just sits around in the fat cells until they get turned into fat. Green tea is jam packed with these compounds, and they can help you burn fat and gain lean muscle mass.