Does Green Tea Help You Lose Weight? Find Out!
The antioxidants and caffeine in green tea can be your allies when it comes to losing weight. Discover the effects of green tea according to some scientific studies.
Are you starting a diet to reach your ideal weight? Surely someone you know has recommended you include green tea to lose weight, but what is true of this statement? Does green tea really help you lose weight?
In today’s article we will present the scientific information that we have been able to gather about green tea. Join us to discover if it is really important to incorporate green tea into our diet to lose weight.
Green tea in the diet
Green tea is undoubtedly one of the most popular beverages throughout the world. It is not uncommon to find people of different cultures and ages enjoying a cup of this drink in the middle of the morning or mid-afternoon. Now, is it really slimming? What are its properties?
Polyphenols that have antioxidant properties predominate in green tea. On the other hand, thanks to its detoxifying and anti-inflammatory compounds it can help protect cells from the action of free radicals.
In addition, it provides vitamins A, B, C, D, E, H and K, and minerals such as chromium, selenium and zinc. All of these compounds help boost metabolic functions. Now, is it really necessary to drink green tea to lose weight?
Green tea analysis
1. Caffeine
Caffeine has a stimulating effect that, according to this Nestlé Research Center study, could aid fat loss. Although the caffeine content of a cup of green tea is less than that of a cup of coffee, it is still enough to give us that stimulating effect.
2. Diuretic properties
According to this study by the NPO International Laboratory of Biochemistry in Nagoya (Japan), it is thanks to caffeine that green tea has diuretic properties that help the body eliminate those substances it does not need, thus fighting fluid retention.
3. Antioxidants
This drink has a high antioxidant content. Among them, the catechins in green tea stand out, which help stimulate metabolism, as stated in this research from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
The main antioxidant in tea is EGCG, a compound that, according to this study by the University of Maastritch (Netherlands), can help an enzyme that breaks down the hormone norepinephrine. When the enzyme is inhibited and the amount of norepinephrine increases, fat is broken down.
Does green tea help to lose weight?
Now that we have seen the properties of green tea, we will try to answer this question. The reality is that by itself green tea will not make you lose weight but it can be considered an ally in weight loss.
This is mainly due to the fact that the catechins present in green tea cause the body to enter thermogenesis – the body’s ability to generate heat due to metabolic reactions – thus producing energy that helps eliminate excess weight.
On the other hand, it can also be considered a mild hunger suppressant, since its consumption can make us have less appetite and avoid snacking between meals.
We must not forget that its diuretic properties make green tea a natural remedy against fluid retention. By helping the body to get rid of fluid retention, it reduces inflammation of the tissues.
In conclusion, the consumption of green tea for weight loss is not a myth but a reality. However, we should not consider it a magic potion. You must combine its intake with a balanced and healthy diet and regular and regular physical exercise.
