How does Green Tea Contribute to Weight Loss?
Written by Dr. Nalini Chilkov
Green tea can lead to effective fat loss while preserving muscle, turning you into a lean fat burning machine.
Green tea catechin ECGC keeps levels of the fat burning hormone norepinephrine high so you lose weight by burning more fat. Green tea inhibits the enzyme that breaks down this hormone.
Green tea causes increased excretion of dietary fat by decreasing lipase enzymes in your digestive tract responsible for fat digestion. Although you may eat foods containing fats, you will not break them down as readily and they will not be source of calories because you will excrete them.
Green tea decreases your appetite by causing the release of CCK (cholecystekinin), an appetite suppressing hormone.
Green tea contains theanine which has positive effects on mood and creates a state of alert relaxation.
Green tea contains caffeine which acts as a stimulant, a mood elevator and a mild diuretic. Caffeine is mildly thermogenic. Thermogenic foods increase the amount of calories burned.
References
- Lin J, Della-Fera MA, Baile CA. Green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate inhibits adipogenesis and induces apoptosis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Obes Res. 2005 Jun;13(6):982-90.
- Chantre P, Lairon D. Phytomedicine. Recent findings of green tea extractAR25 (Exolise) and its activity for the treatment of obesity. 2002 Jan;9(1):3-8 [pubmed]
- Brown AL, Lane J, Coverly J, Stocks J, Jackson S, Stephen A, Bluck L, Coward A, Hendrickx H. Effects of dietary supplementation with the green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin-3-gallate on insulin resistance and associated metabolic risk factors: randomized controlled trial. Br J Nutr. 2008 Aug 19:1-9.
- Mason R. 200 mg of Zen; L-theanine boosts alpha waves, promotes alert relaxation. Alternative & Complementary Therapies 2001 April; 7:91-95
- Zheng G, Sayama K, Okubo T, Juneja LR, Oguni I. Anti-obesity effects of three major components of green tea, catechins, caffeine and theanine, in mice. In Vivo. 2004 Jan-Feb;18(1):55-62.
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Dr. Nalini Chilkov, L.Ac., O.M.D. is a leading edge authority in the field of Integrative Cancer Care, Cancer Prevention and Immune Enhancement. She is the Founder of IntegrativeCancerAnswers.com where she offers online programs and resources that empower and transform. Dr. Chilkov brings over 30 years of clinical experience combining the best of Modern Functional Medicine with the ancient wisdom of Traditional Oriental and Natural Healing. She is a highly respected expert in her field, a frequent speaker at conferences, educational institutions and a trusted resource to the media.
