When it comes to the topic of weight loss, you've probably come across various methods and theories. One of them is the idea that drinking green tea can aid in weight loss, which is a claim many people have heard of.
So, can drinking green tea really help with weight loss? The answer is yes. However, have you ever seen everyone who drinks green tea become thin? Are you starting to have some doubts?
Let's delve deeper into why green tea can help with weight loss and how to effectively use green tea for weight loss.
Why Can Green Tea Help with Weight Loss?
To understand the weight loss benefits of green tea, we have to talk about a substance called tea polyphenol. Among different types of tea, green tea has a relatively high concentration of tea polyphenols compared to loose leaf black tea, loose leaf oolong tea, loose leaf dark tea and other categories of tea.
The tea polyphenols in green tea effectively inhibit the formation of fatty acid synthase, making it difficult for lipids to synthesize within cells, thus reducing the accumulation of body fat. Catechins are the primary compounds in tea polyphenols, constituting approximately 50-80% of the total tea polyphenol content.
Its main mechanisms include: inhibiting the absorption of exogenous cholesterol in the intestines, increasing the activity of phospholipid cholesterol acyltransferase, raising high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, regulating lipoprotein levels, accelerating cholesterol metabolism, and promoting cholesterol excretion. This helps regulate the levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream. By inhibiting the activity of pancreatic lipase to reduce the absorption of exogenous triglycerides (TG), decreasing the activity of fatty acid synthase (FAS) to reduce fat synthesis, enhancing hepatic lipase activity to accelerate TG metabolism, and promoting the excretion of fatty acids, the regulation of TG metabolism is achieved.
Researchers have found that regular exercise alongside green tea consumption can reduce abdominal fat. This study was published in The Journal of Nutrition in February 2009. Researchers tested 107 overweight and obese adults, with one group consuming a beverage containing 625mg of catechins (a major antioxidant component of green tea) along with 39mg of caffeine over a 12-week period. The control group consumed a beverage with 39mg of caffeine but no catechins. Participants were also required to control their daily calorie intake and engage in 180 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. After 12 weeks, the group consuming catechins lost an average of 4.4 pounds, while the control group only lost 2 pounds. Additionally, researchers found a significant reduction in abdominal fat, subcutaneous fat, and triglycerides in the group consuming catechins. Therefore, researchers concluded that combining green tea with exercise can be effective for weight loss, especially in reducing abdominal fat.
How to Drink Green Tea for Effective Weight Loss?
According to clinical studies targeting obese individuals, consuming 800mg of catechins per day (approximately 10g of green tea, equivalent to 4 cups of tea) can help with weight loss.
Catechins are generally considered safe, with China classifying them as a food additive and antioxidant. The U.S. FDA also considers catechins to be generally safe for healthy adults, and there have been no adverse effects reported from consuming 800mg of catechins daily for 42 days. Epidemiological studies have shown that high consumers of tea can drink more than 10 cups of tea daily, which results in an intake of approximately 1000mg of catechins. However, if you are in a special stage such as lactation, pregnancy, or illness, your situation should be analyzed differently.
If you want to maintain your weight and overall health, it is recommended to consume 4g of loose leaf green tea per day. If you are already overweight, you can increase your tea consumption to 8g per day or choose a stronger version of green tea like Sheng Pu-erh. However, it's important to note that green tea is considered "cooling" in traditional Chinese medicine, which may irritate the stomach in some individuals. It's essential to adjust your consumption according to your personal preferences and tolerance. If you don't enjoy the taste of green tea, oolong tea also contains relatively high levels of catechins, especially low- oxidation oolong tea, which can also be helpful for weight loss.
Is Weight Loss Achievable Solely by Drinking Green Tea?
If you observe people around you who have a habit of drinking tea year-round, and they often enjoy various loose leaf teas, including a lot of green tea, you may notice that some of these individuals are on the heavier side. From this observation, it can be inferred that relying solely on drinking green tea is not sufficient for weight loss.
One reason is that green tea contains caffeine and theobromine, which can stimulate the digestive system and increase gastric acid production, leading to a sensation of hunger. However, in many cases, this hunger is a false signal, and undigested food may still be present in the digestive system. Feeling hungry often leads to overeating, which can contribute to weight gain over time. Another possible reason is that frequent green tea drinkers tend to have well-developed taste and olfactory senses, making them more sensitive to the taste of food and more likely to appreciate delicacies. Consuming a variety of tasty foods can lead to weight gain.
In reality, green tea's role is to be a powerful component of your weight loss plan. It is effective but should not be used as the sole method. Other components of a successful weight loss plan include a balanced diet, regular exercise, and adequate rest. Besides reducing fat accumulation in the body, green tea can also assist in other aspects of weight loss. This is why these components need to be used together to achieve better results. On one hand, green tea can help develop good dietary habits by stimulating the digestive system and enhancing taste and olfactory senses, making individuals more inclined to enjoy and savor high-quality foods rather than heavily processed, high-fat, and high-salt dishes. On the other hand, the caffeine in green tea can boost metabolism and energy levels, aiding in physical activity.
Choosing high-quality green tea that suits your preferences can make the weight loss process healthier and more enjoyable. You can try iTeaworld's Green Tea Sampler to taste 6 classic Chinese loose leaf green teas at an affordable price, allowing you to discover the type of green tea you like.
Conclusion
In this article, we've explored the primary reasons why green tea can aid in weight loss and provided some useful methods for using green tea to achieve this goal. We hope this information has been helpful to you.
We believe that individuals who have tried various methods on their weight loss journey understand that there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Weight loss is, in fact, a comprehensive endeavor that involves making changes in various aspects of life. Everyone embarking on a weight loss journey aspires to improve their quality of life, and this is a fantastic attitude to have. We hope that the understanding of green tea can make your weight loss journey more enjoyable and manageable.
