One of the new hip things to do is to drink green tea with the hopes it will help with how we look and feel. But where does this come idea come from? Is it true? Or are we just telling ourselves this will work? I wanted to break it down and I found some really interesting research done on the benefits of green tea. Luckily the research was information which came from the national public library of medicine so I feel okay passing it along.
Much of the research revolves around a specific type of catechin. A catechin is a type of antioxidant in the form of a phenolic compound. A phenolic compound is a hydroxyl group attached to a benzene ring. The compound in green tea that most of the information is focused on is (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). These catechins in green tea are beneficial in treating metabolic syndromes which focus on things like obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Green tea is produced by immediately steaming freshly picked tea leaves to prevent any further fermentation. By steaming so quickly, the enzymes related to the green color do not break down any further and the color remains during drying and processing. This also keeps the health benefits within the tea.
The caffeine and polyphenols (flavonoids) in green tea are seen to spike the metabolism in humans and aid in fat oxidation. The catechins have been seen to suppress blood glucose levels during food consumption which can lead to less food being craved. It has been seen in studies to inhibit the enzyme that breaks down norepinephrine which promotes fat to breakdown.
For type 2 diabetes, it was seen that daily consumption of green tea can lead to decreased glycogen levels in the liver. However, the glucose producing system had no change so it was only effective in a certain area. EGCG was found to inhibit glucose uptake in the intestines which can lead to an increased ability to control blood sugar levels.
I like the flavor of green tea so I don’t mind drinking it. I don’t drink it for the weight loss potential but for the warmth I get from it. My office is freezing so I enjoy the warmth immensely.
One of my favorite green tea drinks is from Starbucks. It’s the green tea lemonade and holy moly is it so yummy and refreshing!
As always, I am not a doctor so always check with your primary care physician before moving forward with any drastic health decisions.
Xoxo,
Z
The link to the research is: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2855614/
