Green Tea Weight Loss,
The Theory on How it Works
Green Tea, Oolng Tea (wulong) and White tea may
have potential in accelerating the metabolism.
Factors on how the green tea work:
Green tea contain up to 150mg of caffeine and 270mg of
epigallocatechin gallate
(EGCG the main active component in green tea) EGCG may aid in an
increase of the metabolism as much as 4%. Though this may not seem
as much this translates to. By drinking 2 cups of green
tea a day, not changing your eating or exercise habits, you could
loss up to 8 pounds in 1 year. Let's rethink this, so if
nothing is done except drinking the tea, just think of the possibilities
when you add a walking routine, or possible reducing sugar and
processed foods from your meals. Not to mention the other
benefits from Green Tea may reduce LDL which is the bad cholesterol,
and may protect from certain cancers.
A Study on Green Tea & Oolong Tea (Wulong):
In today's medication definitions, obesity does not merely mean
being overweight. Obesity is defined as an "excess
accumulation of fat in the human body," indicating that
"the amount of fat within the body has increased beyond its
normal range." The normal range of fat weight is
15-20% for a man and 20-25% for a woman. A man will be diagnosed as
being obese if he has a fat-to-weight ratio of 25% or more, and for
a woman, if she has a ratio of 30% or more.
Note that these values are in percentages, and not pound
measurements. A Chinese pharmaceutical book called the
Bencao Shiyi (The Compendium of Materia Medica) states, "Drinking
tea for a long time will make one live long to stay in good shape
without becoming too fat and too heavy.
So how is this possible?
Polyphenol in oolong tea is
effective in controlling obesity...Polyphenols makes
this possible How can tea be a wonder beverage? It is all due to the high levels of polyphenols found in
oolong (wulong) green and white teas.
Polyphenols are one of natures most powerful anti
oxidants.
Polyphenols are a class of phytochemicals found in high concentrations in green tea, and have been associated
with heart disease and cancer prevention. The slight
astringent, bitter taste of green tea is attributed to
polyphenols. In particular, it activates the enzyme that is
responsible for dissolving triglyceride. It has been confirmed that
the continuous intake of oolong tea contributes to enhancing the
function of fat metabolism and to controlling obesity. A
clinical test was carried out on 75 people between 22 and 68 years
old who were obese merely because of overeating and/or lack of
physical exercise. They were asked to consume a drink made by
infusing two packs of oolong tea in water, once in the morning and
once in the afternoon for six weeks. They were also asked to refrain
from receiving any dietary treatment or taking any exercise. Through
the animal and clinical tests, it was confirmed that the continuous
intake of oolong tea promotes the function of fat metabolism
and contributes to controlling obesity.
Research aimed at finding the active compounds in green tea
revealed that its protective effects are due chiefly to catechins.
Tea contains four main catechin substances: EC, ECg, EGC and EGCg,
all of which are inclusively called catechin. Epigallocatechin
gallate (EGCG) is the most powerful of these catechins. EGCG as an
antioxidant is about 25-100 times more potent than vitamins C and E.
Green tea is rich in bioflavonoids and may protect against digestive
and respiratory infections. One cup of green tea provides
10-40 mg of polyphenols and has antioxidant effects greater than a
serving of orange juice, grapefruit, spinach, carrots, or
strawberries. The high antioxidant activity of
green tea makes it beneficial for protecting the body from oxidative
damage due to free radicals. Research shows that green tea may help
the arterial wall by reducing lipids. Green tea can protect against
experimentally induced DNA damage, and slow or halt the initiation
and progression of undesirable cell colonies. Dr. Michael B.
Chancellor, a professor of urology and gynecology at UPSM says
though further studies are needed to confirm the results the
indications are that herbal supplements from green tea could be a
treatment option for various bladder conditions that are caused by
injury or inflammation. Studies show evidence that green tea
provides immunoprotective qualities, particularly in the case of
patients undergoing radiation or chemotherapy. White blood cell
count appear to be maintained more effectively in patients consuming
green tea compared to non-supplemented patients. Green tea increases
bone density according to a recent study in the Archives of Internal
Medicine (May 13, 2001).
For further information please see Green
Tea and Thermogenesis
or Oolong Tea
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