Can You Benefit From Green Tea Dieting?

As an avid drinker of green tea I decided to find out if there are any benefits of green tea dieting. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg)is a catechin found in green tea, and is thought to be the key ingredient in green tea, which offers green tea drinkers abundant health benefits including weight loss.

One cup of green tea supplies 20-35 milligrams of EGCG.It is thought that EGCG fights fat effectively by increasing the rate of energy expenditure and fat burning through a process of thermogenesis.

There have been many studies conducted on the link between the EGCg found in green tea to weight loss in recent years. One widely cited study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Vol.70,No.6,1999) set out to measure if green tea consumption could increase 24-hour energy expenditure and fat oxidation in humans.It concluded that "green tea has thermogenic properties and promotes fat oxidation beyond that explained by its caffeine content per se. The green tea extract may play a role in the control of body composition via sympathetic activation of thermogenesis, fat oxidation, or both."

Caffeine is thought to assist in weight loss, and is often a major component in dietary supplements, it is also a component of green tea. There is about 30mg of caffeine per 8 ounce (240mls)cup.Does the caffeine in green tea help you lose weight? The Mayo Clinic summarises the effects of caffeine and weight loss in an article published on its website.It states: "Caffeine may act as an appetite suppressant. However, while studies have shown that some people eat less after consuming caffeine, this effect is brief — not long enough to lead to significant weight loss.

Caffeine may increase your body's ability to burn calories. Caffeine is thought to stimulate thermogenesis — one way your body generates heat and energy from digesting food. However, caffeine's role in thermogenesis probably isn't enough to result in significant weight loss.

Caffeine acts as a diuretic, which means it causes an increase in the amount of urine you excrete. This water loss may temporarily decrease your body weight."

Together EGCg and caffeine are said to have a substantial weight loss effect. In a study published in 'in vivo', vol.18, 2004 scientists studied the anti-obesity effects of catechins, caffeine and theanine, in mice. They concluded that the "combination of caffeine and catechins was the most effective among the green tea components in the suppression of body weight gain and fatty accumulation."

So it seems that from studies conducted in recent years, that the benefits of green tea dieting can be attributed to the combination of EGCg and caffeine.

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