By Nabeil Sarhan, Body1 StaffIf your New Year’s resolution is to shed a few pounds, help may be as near as your morning cup of tea. A new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (December 1999) indicates that extracts from green tea can promote weight loss by increasing the body’s energy usage.
Weight loss can be initiated by a reduction in caloric intake or an increase in energy expenditure. In a study at the University of Geneva, subjects treated with green tea extract displayed a 4% increase in energy expenditure relative to those receiving a placebo or caffeine.
Since treatment with caffeine alone had no effect on energy expenditure, the action of the green tea is not explained by its caffeine content alone. Dr. Abdul Dulloo and colleagues, who conducted the study, attribute the effect to the abundance of catechin polyphenols in green tea. These compounds may interact with other chemicals to promote the burning of fat and the creation of body heat.
Since the green tea extract did not raise the subjects' heart rates, green tea may prove to be superior to stimulant diet drugs, which can often have a negative impact on the heart.
Although they come from the same leaves, green tea has less caffeine and more health benefits than the more commonly consumed black tea. Earlier studies have linked green tea to many other health benefits, including antioxidant, antitumor, cholesterol-lowering, and antibacterial effects.
