Green Tea Weight Loss

The benefits of drinking green tea are widely known or believed by many to include everything from alleviating stomach aches to preventing certain types of cancer. But not everyone knows that it can also enhance your healthy weight loss regimen.

Caffeine, which is a natural ingredient in green tea, is known to increase energy levels, and taken in the right amounts, it is very helpful in weight loss and burning fat. But even though it is a fat burner, caffeine should be taken in moderation because of its side effects.

Many people experience nervousness and sleep loss due to consuming caffeine, and for this reason they are advised to have it in the mornings rather than later in the day.

The recommended intake of green tea for maximum health benefits is four to five cups a day, so by having two cups for breakfast, a cup before lunch and one or two cups with your lunch, you have fulfilled your daily quota. This way you're not as likely to have problems sleeping as you would if you had your caffeine in the evening.

By drinking green tea and sticking with the same caloric intake as you have now, you should gradually experience some weight loss and increased energy levels over time.

But by reducing your calorie consumption and/or increasing exercise, along with your green tea weight loss program, you can substantially speed up the process.

Keep in mind though, that for most people, doing just one thing to lose weight does not work. There are a number of factors involved in losing weight, but adding green tea to your healthy diet and exercise program can really amp up what you are already doing.

Green tea is a very simple and inexpensive weight loss product that you can easily incorporate into any weight loss program.

And whether you take green tea pills or other green tea supplements, or just drink the tea, this can be a major boost to your health and weight loss program. You'll have to decide which form works best for you.

Though caffeine is helpful in increasing energy levels and burning fat, it is not the only ingredient in green tea that stimulates weight loss.

A healthy diet always consists of antioxidants, and green tea is loaded with them. Epigallocatechin, more commonly known as EGCG, is the active ingredient in tea.

This antioxidant has been shown through various studies to be more powerful than Vitamin E, and is very valuable in boosting thermogenesis and fat oxidation in humans - both of which are processes in our bodies that burn calories.

Higher amounts of glucose means more insulin production, and Catechins in green tea have been shown to slow the rise of glucose in the human body after eating. By lowering the glucose level after a meal, the rate of fat absorption is also lowered - meaning that less fat is absorbed - because high levels of insulin promote fat absorption rates.

Although it is difficult to pinpoint exactly when green tea was discovered, many experts agree that it was between four and five thousand years ago.

Originally looked upon by the wealthy in ancient China as a symbol of status, the healing and health benefits of green tea have been known for centuries.

Many varying stories abound about the discovery of tea, and most are more myth than an actual historical account. However, there is evidence that tea was administered as early as the third century B.C. for such conditions as depression, increasing alertness, and curing digestive problems.

Over the centuries, more and more ailments have been treated, alleviated, or cured using green tea. And as time went on, it eventually became more affordable so that common people - not only the wealthy aristocrats and political figures in China - could enjoy the delicious beverage.

Though the actual discovery of green tea may be unclear, what is known is that it has been used as a drink, a status symbol, and a medicinal brew for centuries. Today green tea is enjoyed fresh brewed or in the bottle by people all over the world.

Many have come to see that there may be even more uses for green tea that are yet to be discovered, in addition to the properties claimed by the Chinese.

Though some of the health benefits of Green Tea are still being researched and are not conclusive, many experts agree that there are substantial benefits to drinking the tea.

• Contains the anti-oxidant, ECGC, which helps fight free radicals, has antibacterial properties, and helps fight infections.
• Reduces cholesterol.
• Helps inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
• Reduces stress levels.
• Has a thermogenic effect on the body - similar to exercise - increasing the body's ability to burn calories.
• Helps to lower blood pressure and blood sugar.
• Reduces the risk of diabetes.
• Detoxifies the body.
• Suppresses appetite when taken hot.
• Helps prevent weight re-gain.
• Increases stamina.
• Helps prevent heart disease.