Using Green Tea to Lose Weight – Part 1

Green tea weight loss supplements are becoming more popular because they reportedly assist people with their weight loss goals. Most experts agree that supplements can significantly help to curb appetite and decrease intake, both of which are needed to lose weight.

Obesity is a significant problem in Western civilization where the Standard Western Diet is full of too much protein, too many fats, too many sugars and not enough fruits and vegetables. Most people don’t have an accurate understanding of an appropriate serving size. A serving of meat is usually 3 oz of lean meat. Measure 3 oz of lean meat. It’s pretty small, about the size of a deck of cards.

The three most commonly used supplements for weight loss are green tea, ephedra and protein. Weight loss products that are purchased over the counter usually contain at least one of these supplements. Protein is used to increase the protein intake of a person and stop using carbohydrates. This puts the body into ketoacidosis which increases the metabolism but places a strain on the kidneys.

Increased protein diets are also fad diets and shouldn’t be maintained for any length of time as they can cause damage to the kidneys and cannot be prolonged for a lifetime.

Ephedra is a common supplement that has been proven to speed metabolism and decrease appetite but it also is linked to significant side effects. Patients have suffered heart attacks and strokes resulting in death using this supplement.

Green tea weight loss supplements have both caffeine and the chemical EGCG. When these two chemicals (part of the production of the supplement) react to each other the metabolism in the body will increase.

There have not been long-term studies using green tea weight loss supplements to document the effectiveness and side effects. Whenever you take any supplements you should consult your doctor to ensure that the supplement will not interfere with any other medications, over the counter medications or health issues you might have.

References:

(1) The Journal of Nutrition: Green Tea Catechin Consumption Enhances Exercise-Induced Abdominal Fat Loss in Overweight and Obese Adults

http://jn.nutrition.org/content/139/2/264.full.pdf

(2) The University of Chicago Medicine: Green Tea Derivative Causes Loss of Appetite, Weight Loss in Rats

http://www.uchospitals.edu/news/2000/20000223-tea.html

(3) University of Maryland Medical Center: Green Tea

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/green-tea-000255.htm