GREEN TEA EXTRACT: A SECRET WEAPON FOR FAT LOSS AND ANTIOXIDANT SUPPORT
Would you love to effortlessly slim your frame and protect your body against damage and the ravages of age and obesity?
If there were a single compound that could help achieve both aims, you’d want to know about it. Right?
Naturally! (Figuratively and literally.)
Green tea has been promoted in the health space for some years now: a couple of decades, in fact. Headlines first hit the airways as studies emerged, revealing the remarkable potential of this extract to enhance fat loss. The evidence captured the attention of a niche — and delighted — group of health-loving folks.
But with the diversity of available supplements, complexity of research, and other intervening trends, it was easy to feel drawn to fancier (more expensive) options. Yet this natural, humble nutritional powerhouse deserves more notice. It has so much to offer!
So, let’s look at green tea in detail.
What is it, and how exactly does it protect bodies and waistlines?
The mythological history of green tea
According to ancient myth, the first cup of tea was sipped in 2737 BC by the Chinese emperor Shennong, who is credited as the father of Chinese medicine. He was boiling water to drink while relaxing under a Camellia sinensis tree. Dried leaves from the tree fell into the pot, transforming its color. The emperor tasted the infusion and delighted in its flavor and pep. Thus, a legend was born, and thankfully, tea traveled to China’s neighbors and then beyond to the ends of the Earth.
Millenia on, we understand what gives green tea its famous pep and its other benefits. Yes, that includes aiding fat loss and providing antioxidant support.
Green tea extract: A secret weapon for fat loss
While green tea has been enjoyed for centuries, proof of its power to shift pounds has been a more recent discovery. How can such a humble tea deliver significant benefits for achieving a healthier weight?
A study published in Clinical Nutrition conducted a randomized, double-blind trial, considered the gold standard of research. One hundred and two women with a body mass index (BMI) equal to or above 27 kg/m2 (overweight or obese) and a waist circumference at or above 80 cm (excess fat around their waistlines) were studied.
Participants were divided into two groups: one received a daily high-dose green tea extract, and the other received a daily placebo over 12 weeks.
The study found that green tea extract resulted in significant weight loss and a smaller waist circumference. Women lost fat from around the midriff. These benefits came without adverse effects.
The authors believe green tea’s anti-obesity mechanism may be due to improved hunger hormone balance. But green tea works by mechanisms broader than this single process.
Catechins and caffeine: Your metabolic guardians
These two active compounds can benefit your physique in several ways.
Catechins are natural polyphenolic phytochemicals. An article published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition said these compounds may safeguard against “the decrease in metabolic rate that is usually present during weight loss.”
Restricting your calorie intake naturally lowers your body’s metabolic rate and energy expenditure. Dieting can also trigger what are called “compensatory behavioral mechanisms.” Possible mechanisms include changes to hormones and the sympathetic nervous system — the “fight or flight” system — to conserve energy and stop you from losing weight.
Your body wants to maintain a stable size, which is one reason shifting unwanted pounds can be so hard. You’re fighting against this inbuilt program. But catechins appear to protect against this effect, potentially making it easier to lose weight, especially in the longer term.
Along with catechins, green tea contains another important compound, caffeine.
While you might reach for your morning coffee Kickstarter because of its caffeine hit, this popular stimulant is also an ingredient in green tea.
Caffeine possesses thermogenic effects and can stimulate fat oxidation.
Thermogenesis increases your body’s heat production, often dubbed the “thermogenic effect.” It’s like giving your body a little internal heat generator. The effect may include a temporary rise in metabolism, which means your body burns more calories.
But the story gets better!
Caffeine also releases stored energy from fat cells, telling your body, “Hey, let’s use these fat reserves for fuel.”
So, while catechins signal metabolism, caffeine helps use fat for energy. Both help burn fat more efficiently and support weight loss.
They’re a powerful combination!
But there is yet another benefit… Green tea’s antioxidants.
Antioxidants and their role in weight loss
Obesity is often considered to be a state of low-grade inflammation. The antioxidant-free radical balance becomes off-kilter, leading to oxidative stress or virtual “rust” in the body.
Think of antioxidants as health’s bodyguards. They neutralize free radicals to prevent them from harming — or “rusting” — the body’s atoms, cells, and tissues.
But what does this have to do with your waistline?
A study published in Medical Principles and Practice noted that research “presents reasonable evidence” that supplementation with antioxidants may benefit weight loss. This may be related to reduced inflammation.
It’s little wonder that so many people find it beneficial to add a science-backed fat-burning, oxidative stress-quelling, metabolism-boosting supplement to their balanced diet and regular physical activity. But what product should you choose?
ThermoSleep: The popular fat burner (with green tea and antioxidants)
With 250mg of green tea extract per serving and antioxidants like magnesium, resveratrol, raspberry ketones, and a range of other fat-busting ingredients, ThermoSleep is a crowd fav.
As Emily D. said, “The chocolate flavor is great! I use this in conjunction with doing my workouts, and I always shape up and lose weight!”
The Green Tea Takeaway
Shedding excess pounds can be challenging. Life is busy, and being perfect regarding what you eat and how much exercise you get can be impossible. The guilt can set in!
No single wonder cure exists to transform your body. However, results can come quickly and easily with the proper steps, including using evidence-based ingredients like green tea extract.