Why drinking green tea has fantastic health benefits including an aid to weight loss
I drink a lot of coffee and have done for many years. Although I enjoy a cup of coffee and need one every morning to wake me up, I have also been converted to the wonders of green tea and it is now a staple part of my afternoon and evening drinking routine. Although decaffeinated coffee is an alternate option, having too many cups can still make you feel bloated, increase your blood pressure and increase cholesterol levels.
So why green tea? If you're a man you might have a preconception that green tea, or any flavoured tea for that matter, is a girls drink. Well ignore that, read about the health benefits of green tea below, and try it for yourself.
Why green tea is good for you
Green tea has been used for centuries in Chinese medicine to treat medical problems and improve life expectancy. It is low in caffeine, low in calories, contains no carbohydrates, no sugar and is full of antioxidants (200 times stronger than vitamin E). Studies have shown that drinking green tea or taking green tea extract can lower total cholesterol and bad cholesterol levels. Although green tea contains caffeine it also contains theanine so the effects of the caffeine are counteracted and as a result little, if any stimulation, actually occurs.
Green tea is a light, refreshing drink that, unlike coffee, does not make you feel bloated (a great benefit for office workers who spend a lot of time seated in front of a computer). Caffeine in the likes of coffee can also lead to adrenal fatigue which can make you feel tired, low and depressed, devoid of energy. Drinking green tea will work in reverse, energising your body and help to sooth your mind.
A recent study has been published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition where 14 trials were carried out with a total of 1,136 participants. The objectives of the study were to look at the effect of taking green tea on cholesterol levels. The findings showed that green tea was associated with significant reductions in both total and bad cholesterol levels for both healthy people and those with a high risk of heart disease in just 3 weeks.
Drink green tea to improve your energy levels
Green tea and green tea powder is packed full of antioxidants called catechin polyphenols which are responsible for many of the health benefits of green tea, in particular 'epigallocatechin gallate' (EGCG) which helps to increases your metabolism (and can therefore help with the process called thermogenesis). EGCG stimulates your central nervous system and causes fat to be released into the blood stream which the body can then use as fuel (energy).
Green tea can also help you exercise for longer periods of time which makes it popular for both dieters and athletes because of the thermogenesis properties. The catechin polyphenols in green tea stimulate the use of fatty acids by your liver and muscle cells which reduces the rate that carbohydrates are used, leading to greater endurance levels, longer exercise times and therefore more calories being burnt and weight being lost!
Where to buy green tea online in the UK
Green tea comes in various forms, from tea bags to tea leaves to powder. We work with many different suppliers of green tea and there are often many discounts for it so we would recommend that you sign up to our weekly newsletter and Twitter to keep up to date with the latest offers. Below you can find our recommend suppliers with direct links to shop.
The best sports nutrition supplements containing green tea to help with weight loss
If you visit any sports supplement retailer, you will find that in many of the weight loss/fat burning supplements, green tea is included in the list of ingredients. Popular products include Thermobol and Diet Impact Whey which are bought for people looking to lose weight and gain lean muscle.
Here are some recommended supplements which contain green tea extract to promote fat loss and lean muscle gains. Remember that we promote discount codes for these brands including 40% off Optimum Nutrition Complete Diet Boost!