Green tea really is one of nature’s best kept secrets. From poultices for skin problems to whole body antioxidant effects, this lowly little herb is packed with a plethora of health benefits. It is perhaps the idea of green tea for weight loss, however, that is most enticing for the vast majority of the population. Can simply sipping on a cup of freshly brewed tea or taking a green tea extract supplement really help you shed the pounds? Evidence suggests that it is highly possible.
The Effects of Green Tea on the Body
Green tea is highly saturated with antioxidants, especially when freshly brewed. For that reason, it helps to slow the aging of cells and promote a youthful, healthy appearance to the body. For thousands of years it has been a loved and revered remedy for fatigue. Now, many people are looking to the possibility of using green tea to promote weight loss, and for good reason.
Drinking green tea regularly showed a 17 percent increase in fat oxidation. This boost in the body’s natural process along with the increased energy from drinking the tea may help those who use it regularly to burn calories more effectively. Additionally, green tea helps to increase insulin sensitivity and therefore regulate the body’s blood sugar levels.
What this means for you is that the natural effects of green tea will help you to feel better in general with better energy and mood. As a result, you are far more likely to want to exercise as you will actually feel like exercising. Then, once you get moving, you will get a more productive workout as your metabolism is running at a higher efficiency than it would without the supplement.
For example, if you do a very light walking workout that would normally burn 200 calories, the 17 percent increase in fat oxidation will now allow you to burn 234 calories in the same amount of time with the same effort. Of course, those numbers will increase concurrent with whatever routine you choose to do. If you are really getting into your rollerblading program and you know that you normally burn 260 calories in half an hour, with green tea you’ll enjoy an extra 44 calories gone for a total of 304. Neat, huh?
The Bottom Line
So to answer the question of whether or not there are benefits of green tea for weight loss, the answer is yes with a “but.” Green tea does offer many health benefits simply by ingesting it. However, in order to get the weight loss benefits from the herb, you’re going to have to get up and get moving. You’re not going to be able to pop in a couple of supplement pills or drink gallons of tea every day and watch the pounds just magically disappear. But, you will enjoy faster, more effective weight loss when you add green tea into your overall health and fitness plan.
