Meet Tea. It’s the second most consumed beverage in the world, right behind water.
It’s popularly known as the drink of choice in China and Japan, but has been seeing a new stronger presence in the United States. In fact, since 1990, the country has so much as quadrupled its tea intake!
Now meet Green Tea, the lightly caffeinated drink that is growing faster than any other tea in the United States, up 40 percent since 2000, to be exact. But it’s not just being sipped on. Green Tea Extract is becoming a prominent herbal supplement in the health community too.
So what is making Green Tea Extract so popular?
Green tea contains catechins, the major component that is thought to be connected to weight loss, appetite suppression and even improved metabolism. Green tea extract contains a higher concentration of these nutrients, making it a popular choice for people looking to take advantage of green tea’s health benefits.
To learn more about the benefits of green tea extract, read on below!
The Low Down on EGCG
Since it hasn’t been fermented, green tea extract contains the richer amounts of antioxidants than black or oolong. These antioxidants are popularly responsible for fighting the damaging effects of free radicals and even potentially aiding fat-loss.
One antioxidant found in green tea in particular, called epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, is thought to be responsible for many of green tea’s fat-burning benefits.
Why? Scientists previously believed that the fat-burning properties found in green tea could only be attributed to its caffeine content, which has been researched extensively in the weight loss community. However, recent research shows that EGCG has thermogenic properties that can also potentially aid fat oxidation.
Appetite Suppression
A study conducted by the University of Chicago found that EGCG caused rats to lose up to 21 percent of their body weight. After the consumption of EGCG, the rats lost their appetite and ate a whopping 60 percent less during the remainder of the study.
Fat-Burning Properties
Another study found that green tea could even stimulate fat oxidation, the process by which fat is burned for energy, and thus potentially assist in fat loss.
“Oral administration of the green tea extract stimulated thermogenesis and fat oxidation and thus has the potential to influence body weight and body composition via changes in both [energy expenditure] and substrate utilization.”
Metabolism Boost
Although research is still being conducted, several studies have shown a correlation between green tea and changes in metabolism. One study found that the catechins in green tea extract could help burn body fat both during exercise and at rest.
“It was found that body fat utilization for energy expenditure was more effectively increased in both sedentary and exercising conditions by a combination of tea catechins intake and regular exerciser than by the exercise alone.”
Green tea extract also contains caffeine, which has also been shown to aid the breakdown of fat in numerous other studies.
Dosage
Although green tea allergies are not common, it’s important to review potential risks with a health professional before using Green Tea Extract. Remember to discuss your diagnosis, potential treatments, and side effects with your doctor before using any nutritional supplement.
If you’ve spoken to your health professional and want to improve your metabolism, fat loss, or even just overall health, check out Zhou’s Herbal Green Tea Extract!
Resources:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10584049?dopt=Abstract&holding=npg
http://www.uchospitals.edu/news/2000/20000223-tea.html
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/70/6/1040.full.pdf+html
http://www.teausa.com/14654/state-of-the-industry
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/09/03/america-is-slowly-but-surely-becoming-a-nation-of-tea-drinkers/
http://facts.randomhistory.com/tea-facts.html
http://jn.nutrition.org/content/133/10/3285S.full
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10068-010-0151-6
http://jhs.pharm.or.jp/data/51(2)/51_233.pdf
