Green Tea and Thermogenesis

Thermogenesis is a scientific term that simply means “heat creation.” Thermogenesis is most easily accomplished through exercise and shivering, which is the body’s way of creating heat in cold temperatures. When the body creates heat, it needs to burn more calories, which increases the metabolic rate. There are artificial means of creating thermogenesis, many that are used for weight loss. The most common are the use of caffeine, ephedra, and ginger.

Green tea contains caffeine, which contributes to the increase in metabolism. However, according to several studies, it is thought that the high levels of catechin-polyphenols, which are part of green tea thought to inhibit an enzyme that hinders the release of adrenaline, combined with caffeine creates an even greater thermogensis effect than that of caffeine alone. This would seemingly result in a higher metabolic rate that would help aid in weight loss. (Catechin-polyphenols are also the part of green tea that contain healthful antioxidants.)

It is also thought that green tea further aids in weight loss thanks to active flavanols found in the green tea leaf, particularly epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG (the same catechin that fights cancer.) EGCG is known to aid in the oxidation of fat. Fat oxidation, or beta oxidation, is the simply the breakdown of fat for energy use. It is thought that EGCG helps to breakdown brown or excess fat, which is converted into energy, which of course, leads to weight loss.

Studies that test green tea’s effect on weight loss have had, perhaps not incredibly significant, but positive results. The common consensus is that green tea should not be a person’s sole weight loss tool, but that combined with a healthy diet and exercise, it is certainly a healthy and productive weight loss aid. Since green tea is also a probable powerful combatant against cancer, there is no good reason not to enjoy a tall glass of it daily.

Source: greenteametabolism.org

In 1999, Dr. Dulloo from the University of Geneva conducted a ground-breaking study in which 10 men were given one of the following 3 times a day:

*Green tea extract consisting of 50 milligram caffeine and 90 milligram epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) - green tea's most active antioxidant.
*50 milligrams of caffeine
*Placebo

Dr. Dulloo discovered that consuming the green tea extract resulted in an increase of 4% in 24 hour energy usage. Just taking the caffeine in amounts equivalent to those found in the green tea extract had no effect on metabolism.

The researchers concluded that green tea boosts energy usage and promotes fat burning beyond that explained by its caffeine content.

Green Tea Metabolism Study #2: Beltsville HNRC 2001 Study

This study was conducted by Dr. William Rumpler on 12 healthy male adults over 3 days. Unlike the previous study, the participants drank the beverage instead of consuming tea extract. They were divided into 4 groups, with each group given either

*Caffeinated water (270 milligrams)
*Full strength oolong tea (270 milligrams caffeine, 244 milligrams EGCG)
*Half strength oolong tea (122 milligrams EGCG)
*Water

The caffeinated water contained 270 milligrams of caffeine. The full strength oolong tea contained 244 milligrams of EGCG and the same amount of caffeine.

The scientists discovered that the caffeinated water increased energy usage by 3.4% compared to water over 24 hours. Full strength tea increased metabolism by 2.9%.

The half-strength tea did not significantly increase metabolism when compared to plain water.

Conclusion

According to a rule of thumb, you should consume at least 10 calories per pound of your ideal weight. So if you are aiming for a weight of 150 pounds, you should consume 1,500 calories a day.

Now here comes the problem. You and I probably consume far more calories than we realise. Most of these calories are found in fat, which makes up 40% of an American's diet (a balanced diet should contain 15% fat by calorie count). These fats are found everywhere: butter, vegetable oil, salad dressing, lean cut meat, seafood etc.

This is where green tea metabolism kicks in. If you burn 2,000 calories a day, this translates to a saving of 80 calories, or 8 pounds a year, not bad for just a few cups of soothing tea! After a few years, each little cup adds up to a gigantic slimming effect.

Increasing your energy usage is just one of the many things green tea does. More significantly, green tea reduces fat tissue and helps you exercise longer. Click on the link below to find out more!

Source: amazing-green-tea.com