Green Tea Can Help a Weight Loss Program
Thu, February 5, 2009 at 03:00AM Green tea contains a powerful antioxidant, catechtin, and has been shown in previous studies to have possible health benefits. Now a distinct advantage of taking green tea has been shown in obese and overweight people during an exercise-induced weight-loss program. This clinical study was reported in the Journal of Nutrition.
All the 132 participants took a diet that was consistent in calories throughout the study, and were asked to engage in over 3 hours’ a week of moderate intensity exercise, which included 3 supervised sessions a week. Body composition, abdominal fat, and clinical lab tests were measured at baseline and after 12 weeks. The were given either a drink (green tea) containing 625 mg catechins or 39 mg caffeine, daily.
After 12 weeks those participants taking green tea had an average weight loss of 2.2 kg (4.4 pounds), compared with 1 kg (2.2 pounds) in the caffeine drinkers. This difference was not statistically significant, i.e. it could have occurred by chance alone. The percentage changes in total fat content in the body was similar in the two groups, but total abdominal fat was reduced 7.7% with green tea, compared with 0.3% in the caffeine group; this was chiefly due to reduced subcutaneous abdominal fat loss. Serum triglyceride levels were also reduced in the green tea group (minus 11% vs. a gain of 2% with caffeine).
We presume green tea helps in this situation due to its antioxidant effect, which can speed the rate of fat breakdown during exercise. In this study it had a clear advantage over caffeine, so it’s worth switching from coffee to green tea (but maybe only provided you work out regularly). And in another study reported in the same issue of the Journal of Nutrition, regular drinking of green tea among 7000 Chinese women was accompanied by a slight but significant decrease in breast cancer.
Reader Comments (1)
I must add a warning. Green tea (specifically the antioxidant EGCG polyphenol) has been shown to react with one type of anticancer agent - those having a boron acid base, such as bortezomib. The beneneficial effects of the anticancer agent are cancelled by the green tea constituent. See: http:www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/137733.php.
Bob G.