Green Tea’s Weight Loss Benefits

Have you ever wondered if there’s scientific evidence behind the idea that green tea can reduce fat or help maintain a healthy weight?

The research clearly shows that the answer is yes.

In fact, there are several clinical trials, published in prestigious scientific journals, supporting the effects of green tea for weight loss and weight maintenance.

What’s more, studies have shown that green tea may help prevent and improve lifestyle-related diseases and conditions like obesity and heart disease.

For example, a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that green-tea extract reduces body weight, BMI, waist circumference, body-fat mass, and subcutaneous fat.

In fact, over a ten year period, those who habitually drank the most green tea showed a 19.6% reduction in body fat percentage and a 2.1% reduction in waist:hip ratio compared with non–habitual tea drinkers.

But it gets better.

Another study, published in the journal, Obesity, showed similar changes in weight and fat mass as well as improvements in high blood pressure and “bad” (LDL) cholesterol, both known risk factors for heart disease and stroke.

Here’s why: Green tea contains polyphenols called catechins—a disease-fighting flavonoid and antioxidant found in the leaves and stems of the plant, and the science supports that these molecules play an important role in the health benefits of green tea.. You may not know that green tea is prepared from unfermented tea leaves which gives rise to its higher polyphenol content.

In fact, among teas, green tea has the highest catechin content followed by the black teas such as Earl Grey, Ceylon, Darjeeling, and oolong teas.

This is very encouraging news for people who could use a little help to slim down!

Not only that, there’s promising scientific evidence—albeit, still in the early stages—to suggest that polyphenols like catechins control the genes that impact inflammation, a subject I’ve been keenly focused on and have written about extensively for many years.

Inflammation, as we know, is the root cause of many of the debilitating and life-threatening diseases that we see today, including arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer.

Green tea: a safe, effective way to shed pounds

So yes! You should drink green tea daily if you want to reduce fat, maintain a healthy weight, and reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Not only is it safe, it’s pretty tasty as well, making it a simple, inexpensive and effective way to achieve all three goals.

Of course, you can’t rely on green tea alone. If you’re living on a daily diet of processed foods, refined sugars and chemical-laden junk, all the green tea in China isn’t going to help you shed those pounds and protect you from disease.

That’s why—when it comes to weight loss—and weight maintenance—it’s critical to:

• Eat a diet high in other polyphenol-rich foods like blueberries, raspberries, and plums
• Consume lean meats and healthy omega-3-containing fish, like salmon, albacore tuna and trout
• Eat high-fiber foods like oat bran, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower

And if you’re not much of a tea drinker, that’s ok. There’s a solution for you too.

Supplements: an alternative to green-tea drinking

If you’re wondering if green-tea supplements have the same effect, the scientific data to date says“yes”.

Based on the science, a little help from green tea supplements can be very beneficial for weight loss, particularly knowing how challenging it can be to get the right amount of polyphenols you need daily. Unfortunately, not all green tea supplements were created equally.

So, here’s what to look for in a green tea supplement: To be maximally effective, it’s important to select a green-tea extract supplement that’s formulated to deliver the right types and levels of bioactive nutrients to reduce fat, to help you lose weight, or maintain a healthy weight.

Look for a supplement, from a reputable manufacturer that delivers at least 350 mg of green tea extract with 95% polyphenols, 75% catechins, and 40% EGCG.

If you really want to enhance your polyphenol intake, you might look for a supplement combining green tea extract with another rich source of polyphenols like pomegranate.

The polyphenols in pomegranate extract have been shown to help promote heart and overall cardiovascular health…an important side benefit to any healthy weight loss plan.

But, before closing, we just want to remind you of one very important thing when it comes to weight loss: There is no quick fix here.

In the weight-loss studies the Gene Smart diet is based on, participants lost 1.5 to 2 pounds a week—patiently, over time, with a few losing more than 100 pounds in all—by combining healthy eating with regular exercise and supplementation.

To accomplish safe and effective weight loss, you must reduce your calories by 700-800 per day. That pace of weight loss is healthy, safe, and sustainable.

You don’t want to cut too many calories or you’ll likely feel tired, irritable…and hungry. And it’s potentially unsafe!

Others who promise greater weight loss than 2 pounds a week are simply not providing you with a realistic or sustainable diet that will benefit your health.