Green tea has long been established as a very beneficial beverage and is consumed across the globe. Being that green tea extract is a common addition to many of the most popular fat burners on the market, it’s only natural that people may wonder if the tea, consumed in its traditional form, helps with weight loss.
We’re here to discuss the benefits of this tea and demystify some of its primary effects.
How does Green Tea impact our bodies?
The primary benefit of green tea is that it has an antioxidant function when ingested, removing free radicals from our system. One of the most interesting compounds found in green tea is epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). This compound is still being studied for its capability to combat cancer and heart issues, but there are some really good signs.
Finally, the presence of caffeine in green tea is also very important. It can be used as a healthier replacement for coffee (although coffee isn’t particularly unhealthy) and keep your alertness at a high level without too much trouble. There are other benefits as well, but we’ll get to that.
Can it really burn fat?
The short answer is yes! There are several aspects of green tea that help impact losing weight.
Caffeine is one of the most common ingredients in fat burner supplements for a reason. We have studies that show this, but it should be quite obvious to people who drink caffeinated beverages on a regular basis. Caffeine speeds up the metabolism and also delays the feeling of being tired, so it both helps you burn more calories and remain active for longer, adding to your daily calorie expenditure.
The flavonoids and catechins in green tea, especially EGCG, have a great antioxidant effect which, some studies show, has an impact on weight loss.
Furthermore, one study shows that green tea, combined with regular exercise, may boost fat oxidation.
Even though the evidence shows that green tea is a great way to boost fat burning, you should keep in mind that simply drinking green tea won’t burn your fat away on its own. If you have a bad diet, a stationary lifestyle, and don’t exercise regularly, you are not going to see significant strides in weight loss by just drinking green tea.
Does it have any other benefits?
We already mentioned caffeine as a brain enhancement supplement, but there’s another compound in green tea that helps. L-theanine can breach the barrier between blood and brain and increase the activity of GABA, contributing to the reduction of anxiety but also adding to the production of dopamine. Also, when combined, caffeine and L-theanine have a beneficial impact on brain function.
Protecting the brain from degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s is another effect that has also been shown in studies performed on animals and in test tubes. We still might need to wait a bit to get full confirmation with a study on human subjects, but we’re moving in the right direction.
Finally, one of the unexpected things that green tea can help with is bad breath. Coffee breath is awful, and by replacing coffee with green tea you avoid it completely. Not only that, but studies have shown that it can help combat volatile sulphur compounds that can appear in our mouth cavity, helping you feel fresh throughout the day.
Are there different types and which ones work best?
There are ten different types of green tea but keep in mind it’s all the same plant. What does differ is when the tea is picked, how it is processed, and how old the leaves were once they were picked. Here is the complete list of green tea types:
For our specific purpose, which is weight loss, we recommend you go for the Matcha variety of green tea. The reason why is that Matcha seems to contain the most catechin and EGCG, making it more effective than the other varieties.
The processing used for this type of tea is different as it is ground and almost turned into an extract. Also, it is kept in the shade for a couple of weeks before it is harvested to increase its caffeine content to 80 mg compared to 35 mg in regular varieties.Conclusion
As you can see, there are a variety of reasons to introduce green tea into your diet. Fat burning is definitely one of the effects this beverage can have on your body, and if you are looking for a healthy way to boost calorie burning, this tea is a great option.
Of course, we have to stress that, like with any legitimate fat burning supplement or ingredient out there, you can only achieve concrete goals with a good diet and exercise. Just drinking green tea will not remove excess fat on its own.
FAQ
Yes! Green tea can burn belly fat and any other kind of fat really due to caffeine, antioxidants (EGCG specifically), and its effects on metabolism. It won’t do so without additional effort, like exercise and proper dieting though.
A small study at Oklahoma State showed that people who drank 4 cups of green tea instead of water throughout the day, for eight weeks lost about 1.3 pounds. Combined with exercise and dieting these numbers can scale dramatically.