Green Tea Metabolizes Fat
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Did you know that the second most consumed beverage in the world is 
tea? The demand for tea has risen steadily over the last 16 years. The Tea Association of the USA estimates that sales of tea currently total nearly $2 billion in supermarkets. Recently, the consumption of green tea has become more widespread in the West, where black tea was popular. In the United States in 2007, the demand for green tea was about 17 percent of total tea consumption.
Traditionally, tea consumption originated in China around 5,000 years ago. In traditional medicine, green tea has been used in China, Japan, Thailand, and India for a wide variety of ailments from helping wounds heal to regulating body temperature, blood sugar and promoting digestion. Green tea is made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant that has undergone minimal oxidation to preserve its quality. The green teas available today can vary widely due to growing conditions, harvest methods, and processing methods. The better quality green teas have a greenish color. Green teas that are dark or brownish in color may indicate that oxidation has occurred.
Over the last twenty years, there have been many scientific and medical studies conducted on green tea to determine if it did indeed offer any health benefits. The results of these studies suggest that regular ingestion of green tea might help lower risks for certain health conditions and aid in weight loss management.
Green Tea Studies
A study published in the March 2008 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported on research conducted at The University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom. In this placebo-controlled study, researchers investigated the effects of acute ingestion of green tea extract on glucose tolerance and fat oxidation during moderately intense exercise in young men. In the first of two studies, twelve healthy men performed a 30-minute cycling exercise at 60% of maximal oxygen consumption before and after taking a green tea extract supplement. In the second study, eleven healthy young men took an oral-glucose-tolerance test before and after taking a green tea extract supplement. In both studies, the consumption of the green tea extract showed more favorable results compared to those taking a placebo. The average improvement in fat oxidation was 17% and the insulin sensitivity was 13% higher after ingesting the green tea extract. These studies clearly showed that green tea extract can increase the amount of fat burned while engaging in moderately intense workouts. Moreover, researchers noted that the contribution of fat oxidation to total energy expenditure during exercise was significantly higher when the extract was ingested. Further, the green tea extract helped boost the metabolism of fat by increasing the availability of fat as a fuel.
Summary
Green tea from quality leaves can have a positive impact on one’s health when ingested on a regular basis. In recent studies, it has been shown to aid in promoting fat oxidation in humans at rest, helps decrease obesity, and improves insulin sensitivity in mice. Other studies have demonstrated the green tea can help to lower the risks of certain degenerative diseases and help with weight loss.
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