There’s good news for dieters!

Stories on the health benefits of green tea, specifically in relation to weight management, have been causing more and more people to start sipping the ancient Japanese brew. Even popular personalities like Oprah Winfrey has been touting the weight management benefits of green tea. As encouraged by Dr.Perricone, Oprah has a cuppa, a handful of almonds and slices of apple and Parmesan Cheese between 3:30 and 4:00pm everyday.

So, how does green tea help in weight loss?

1. Green tea boosts up your metabolism
A report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that the thermogenic effect of catechins increases the body’s metabolic rate. The researchers indicated that their findings have substantial implications for weight control. Researchers found that over a 24-hour period, green tea extract increases the metabolic rate by 4%. These effects are probably due to the high concentrations of catechin polyphenols found in green tea. These work to help intensify levels of fat oxidation and thermogenesis (the rate at which your body burns calories).

2. Green tea promotes natural fat loss
The Chinese and Japanese believes that tea has the ability to break down oily and fatty food and aid digestion. Therefore, it is an ideal drink to have alongside delicious Chinese and Japanese dishes that are often high in fat. Today, experts have proved that green tea causes carbohydrates to be released slowly, preventing sharp increases in blood-insulin levels (lots of insulin promotes fat storage) and the subsequent fat storage.

3. Green tea may help reduce appetite
Scientists at the University of Chicago found that green tea caused rats to lose up to 21 percent of their body weight. Rats injected with a green tea extract lost their appetites and consumed up to 60 percent less food after seven days of daily injections. This may have something to do with the blood sugar regulating effects of green tea.

4. Green tea can help you save calories
We got to admit that we love our java. But did you know that our regular double-cream, cappuccino, latte, mocha, frappucinno is wreaking havoc on our waistlines?

With green tea, you normally drink it plain - minus the sugar, milk and cream that you have along with your favourite coffee. If you want to save mega-calories but still get your caffeine fix, try substituting green tea for that 700 calorie mocha-chillate. You’ll definitely notice the difference in your waistline after a few weeks.

To optimize the benefit of green tea, drink 3 to 5 cups of green tea per day. Doing this can help you burn an extra 70 calories per day which amounts to 7 pounds per year. Pretty good for not exercising or cutting calories, right? ;)

Recommended Readings:

Cooking with Green Tea: Delicious dishes enhanced by the miraculous healing powers of green tea

Lose Weight with Green Tea: A Safe Weight-Loss Method That Works

You: On A Diet: The Owner’s Manual for Waist Management

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