Green Tea Extract and Fat Burning
In recent years, scientists have discovered through extensive research that green tea may play a key role in improving many aspects of your health. Studies have shown that green tea extract is inextricably linked to fat burning, as it contains many antioxidants and various herbal compounds that can benefit your health, increase fat burning, and help you lose weight.
Green tea contains more than 30 polyphenols, such as catechins, flavonoids, and phenolic acids. And the high concentration of catechins in it can accelerate sympathetic stimulation and alter energy utilization after exercise.
It Contains Substances That Can Help You Lose Fat
In one study, scientists found that subjects who were supplemented with decaffeinated green tea extract (571/mg) daily showed a 24.9% increase in fat oxidation and a 1.63% decrease in body fat after 4 weeks. In other words, green tea promotes the body’s use of petroleum, giving you a higher fat-burning capacity.
This healthy beverage is rich in powerful antioxidants known as catechins. The most important of these is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which is a substance that boosts metabolism. This ingredient content does have a great effect. Studies have shown that drinking a cup of green tea can increase the level of antioxidants in the blood.
It Mobilizes Fat In Fat Cells
To burn fat, your body must first break it down into fat cells and transfer it into your bloodstream. Animal studies suggest that the active compounds in green tea may help this process by enhancing the action of some fat-burning hormones, such as norepinephrine.
EGCG, the main antioxidant in green tea, helps to inhibit the enzyme that breaks down the hormone norepinephrine. When this enzyme is inhibited, the amount of norepinephrine increases, thus promoting the breakdown of fats. The naturally occurring caffeine and EGCG in green tea can have a synergistic effect. Eventually, your fat cells will break down more fat, released into your bloodstream as energy for muscle cells, etc.
Increase Fat Burning, Especially During Exercise
If you look at the labels of almost all commercial weight loss and fat-burning supplements, you will probably see green tea listed as one of the ingredients. This is because green tea extract has been repeatedly linked to increased fat burning, especially during exercise.
In one study, men who took green tea extract before exercise burned 17 percent more fat than men who did not take the supplement. This study suggests that green tea may enhance the effects of fat-burning exercise.
Increase Metabolic Rate
Even while you sleep or sit, your cells are constantly producing energy. Some studies have shown that taking green tea extract or EGCG supplements can allow you to burn more calories even when you are at rest.
While most of these studies were short-lived, some evidence suggests that the metabolism-boosting effects are still long-term. In one study of 60 obese people, those who took green tea extract lost an extra 3.3 kg per day and burned 183 more calories after three months than those who did not.
However, not all studies show that green tea extract boosts metabolism, and the effects may vary from person to person.
It Automatically Makes You Burn Fewer Calories
One of the ways green tea can help you lose weight is by reducing your appetite. In theory, this will automatically make you burn fewer calories – and it doesn’t require much effort. However, research has produced conflicting results regarding the effects of green tea on appetite.
Some animal studies suggest that green tea extracts or EGCG supplements may reduce the amount of fat you absorb from food, but this has not been proven in humans. In general, the main effect of green tea is to increase calorie burning, allowing you to burn more fat – but this does not seem to have a significant effect on how much food you eat in a day.
It Can Help You Reduce Harmful Belly Fat
When it comes to actual weight loss, the effects of green tea are relatively mild. While many studies have shown that people lose weight, some studies have not shown any effect. Two reviews of many controlled trials on green tea supplements found that people lost an average of about 1.3 pounds.
Keep in mind that not all fat is created equal. Subcutaneous fat is infiltrated under your skin, but you may also have a lot of visceral fat, also known as belly fat. Large amounts of visceral fat are associated with inflammation and insulin resistance, both of which are closely linked to several serious diseases, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Several studies of the catechins in green tea have shown that while the weight loss effect is modest, a large percentage of the fat lost is harmful to the internal organs. Therefore, green tea should reduce the risk of many major diseases, which may lead to a longer, healthier life.
Conclusion
Although green tea extract or EGCG supplements can moderately increase metabolic rate and fat burning, they are not very effective in improving body weight. However, it will build up from time to time and can be used in combination with other effective weight loss strategies (such as the keto diet) for better results.