Diet, weight loss, fat burning are the words on the lips of dieters everywhere and they are all looking for the “Magic Bullet.”
Lets face it, most diets are boring and the trouble with fat burning is you have to exercise to do it. So wouldn’t it be nice if you could reduce those “love handles”with a bit less effort.
Well there is some good news.
The Chinese have for centuries extolled the virtues of Green Tea for its medicinal qualities, but recent studies may be of more interest to all you dieters out there.
One recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Vol. 81, No. 1, 122-129, January 2005), indicated the ingestion of a tea rich in catechins (catechins are a major component of green tea extract) leads to a lowering of body fat.
There is further evidence to support the facts that:
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Green Tea can lower cholesterol and increase energy expenditure
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Green Tea also causes carbohydrates to be released slowly, preventing sharp increases in blood-insulin levels. This promotes the burning of fat.
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Drinking green tea can facilitate weight loss by affecting glucose
All of this is good new for those trying to lose weight.
There are, however, major benefits to drinking Green Tea other than fat burning.
Today, scientific research in both Asia and the west is providing hard evidence for the health benefits long associated with drinking Green Tea.
There is research indicating that drinking Green Tea lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol.
Researchers recently concluded that a compound in Green Tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells.
Green Tea’s secret is that it is rich in EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate ) which is a powerful antioxident. Antioxidants work by neutralizing highly reactive, destructive compounds called free radicals. From warding off heart disease to slowing degeneration of the brain and eyes, talk of the health benefits of antioxidants are quite common today.
Research suggests that consumption of antioxidant-rich foods reduces damage to cells and biochemicals from free radicals. This may slow down, prevent, or even reverse certain diseases that result from cellular damage, and perhaps even slow down the natural aging process.
Green tea has also been shown to be effective in inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots.This takes on added importance when you consider that thrombosis (the formation of abnormal blood clots) is the leading cause of heart attacks and stroke.
Should you take Green Tea as a means of losing weight and burning fat? Well the weight of evidence shows that it will definitely assist, just don’t expect the pounds to drop off without taking any other actions.
So should you take Green Tea to help as part of a healthy diet? Absolutely, the potential health benefits are enormous and if you are no fan of caffeine then Green Tea has roughly half the caffeine content of coffee.
Diet, weight loss, fat burning
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