Green tea

Green tea does increase metabolism and is used as a weight loss aid by some, but it is a really small increase. You would need to drink about 6 or so cups of strong green tea to have the same effect as cutting out one plain biscuit from your daily intake!!

One of my books says of green tea: "It also shows promise as a weight-loss aid that can promote the burning of fat and help to regulate blood-sugar and insulin levels". I would suggest the weight loss may be more to do with insulin levels and balanced blood sugar, rather than 'burning fat'. There is no indication of how much to consume.

Its main benefit is antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral because of its polyphenols. EGGC (one of them) has been shown to penetrate the body's cells and protect the DNA from hydrogen peroxide - a potent free-radical. This way it protects against cancer, reduces the clotting tendency of blood and help lower cholesterol levels.

To get the benefits, drink it without milk. persons with anxiety disorders or irregular heartbeat should limit intake to 2 cups per day.

Thanks for your replies. I've been drinking one cup a day because of the benefits you mentioned. Only just read about the weight loss but doesn't seem as if it's worth drinking it for that.

According to Chinese medicine the best tea for weight loss is Pu Erh. It's not easy to get in regular high-street shops, but have a search online and you'll find some.

It is an aquired taste though!

"I read that green tea increases the metabolism so helping with weight loss"

I remember researching this topic during my degree. What I remember is that there is something soluable in the tea that blocks the absorption of fats in the intestines, which may lead to a lowering of cholesterol in the body. The trick was not to use boiling water, as this destroys whatever it was (can't exactly remember!) and makes the tea more bitter.

Any increase in metabolism is probably due to the caffeine, and from my experience, the Pu Er type teas are great for keeping me awake at night!

There is some evidence to back up the claims about green tea and weight loss,

"In a one weight loss study, conducted by the department of physiology, Khon Kaen, University of Thailand, researchers concluded that green tea can reduce body weight by increasing energy expenditure and fat oxidation." (Auvichayapat et al 2008).

About 3 to 6 cups per day seems like a sensible amount although I think high doses of green tea extracts are best avoided as there has been quite a few cases of liver toxicity associated with these products.

Best wishes, Tony

These studies do far more to increase sales of green tea than green tea does to decrease weight!! You would need to drink huge amounts and even then the effects would be minimal.

Nothing beats healthy eating and regular exercise!

Yes I agree increased sales is one objective behind the funding of research into green tea. One problem is that too much tea is being produced in relation to consumption which together with pressure from the big supermarket consortiums is driving down the price of tea around the world. A tea picker in India or other developing country can expect to earn around 80p per day at the moment which keeps them pretty much in poverty. One way of increasing the value of tea or any other food commodity is to attach a health claim to it which is why companies are prepared to invest in research, however gains at the high end of the supply chain, the retailers, aren't always passed down to the farmers and pickers which is why I try to buy tea from a company that is committed to some kind of fair trade policy.

Best wishes, Tony

My personal experience of this is that I switched some years ago from black tea to green tea blend on the advice of a colleague, regarding the antioxidant content. It tastes more or less the same as black tea and you can take it with or without milk. I don't believe that it has had any impact on my weight, which is and has always been pretty stable, however it has genuinely reduced my cellulite. I am 99% sure it's this that has been responsible, as I made no other diet or lifestyle changes then, and it was noticed and commented upon by my partner at the time, even though he had no idea that this was one of the things I had been told it could improve. I haven't changed back, and the cellulite situation remains improved, so I'm happy with it! 🙂

There is some very good research around supporting benefits of taking green tea. But as someone has already pointed out, you do have to consider how much of 'compound x' is actually in a cup.

Another sore point though is that research is repeatedly referred to without attention to the finer details, particularly regarding the quality / source / potency of what was actually used in the research. With natural products and foods you get natural variances. It doesn't matter if it is green tea, manuka honey, echinacea, ginseng etc etc, it is not all the same. The particular variety of plant, soil, climate, and quality of the processing among other things can all add up to huge differences in the end product.

The majority of green tea sold in the UK is deliberately vague on its actual origin, because most of it is sourced from China. I know that there can be some very high quality green tea from China, but the majority of what is on shelves in the UK, in terms of the 'benefits of green tea' is nothing short of c**p.

Well green tea is best for fat burning. I drink it regularly. Green tea is also good for skin. It burns extra calories and fat easily. It prevents us from many diseases like cancer. A person can easily reduce his weight with green tea. A cup of green tea regularly is good for health.

I am overweight. i’ve tried many methods to lose weight but all failed. So please share your experience of losing weight with me or recommend me some good ways. Thank you.