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The popularity of green tea as a health and fat burning supplement has massively increase in recent years, with many fat burning and pre workout supplements now containing green tea as a main ingredient. Although green tea is a recent craze in the supplement market, it has long and well established roots in the far east for thousands of years.
The tea tree belongs to the Camellia family, with all types of tea supplied from this one plant, just prepared in different ways to determine the colour of the tea. Green tea, which is the tea which contains the most health benefiting substances, is steamed. Black tea is fermented for a longer period of time, and therefore losses much of its benefiting substances. Due to the differences in the preparation of the different types of teas, green tea contains less caffeine compared to that of black tea.
Green tea contains Catechins, mainly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which is a powerful anti-oxidant. Anti-oxidants have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol levels, decrease cancerous cells, reduce abnormal blood clots, and decrease free radical damage. The positive effects from the anti-oxidants found in green tea is of benefit for most the population, and also specifically for bodybuilders and fitness athletes post work out to decrease the surge of free radical damage that can occur. The decrease in formation of abnormal blood clots is also a welcomed choice by most, with abnormal blood clots being the number one reason for stroke and heart attack in the west.
Green tea is also used as a fat burner, raising the resting metabolic rate, thus expelling more calories. This heightening of the resting metabolic rate has been reported to be greater than that of caffeine, and may be a welcomed alternative due to the many unwanted side effects people experience with caffeine supplementation. For this reason many include green tea supplementation during bodybuilding cutting phrases, where a reduction in body fat is the goal.
Green tea contains tannins, compounds which can aid digestion, and has been used in the far east for this reason for thousands of years. Consuming a cup of green tea after a meal can be a good way of aiding digestion and maintaining a healthy gut.
Green tea has also been shown to decrease the bacteria which causes plaque!
There are conflicting views and studies on this matter, with many institutions concluding at a different number of cups per day for health benefits. A wise choice would be to consume four to five cups of green tea daily, although many studies show that more consumption may lead to increase health benefits.
Green tea has long established origins in China and has been drank for thousands of years, and we are really only starting to understand the full health benefits of green tea, and there is little doubt further discoveries will be made about green tea and its health inducing power.
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