Green Tea for Weight Loss: 2023 Update

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Green tea has been the subject of numerous studies exploring its potential for weight loss, leading to a variety of beliefs and myths. Some individuals tend to overstate its benefits, while others dismiss them entirely.

Let’s thoroughly examine the latest research on green tea and its impact on weight loss, so that you can get a clear and accurate understanding of what you can realistically expect if you’re considering green tea as a weight loss aid.

Caffeine content

Green tea is known for its caffeine and catechin content. It’s mainly these compounds that are believed to play a role in its potential weight loss effects.

Let’s see a quick overview of how green tea compares to other teas and coffee.

Caffeine and obesity

Caffeine can contribute to burning fat during exercise in two primary ways.

First, caffeine temporarily enhances wakefulness and alertness in many people. This boost in energy can motivate you to engage in more frequent and intense physical activities, ultimately improving your body’s fat-burning capabilities and metabolism.

So, if you’ve noticed that caffeine keeps you active and elevates the intensity of your workouts, it can indeed aid in fat loss.

The second mechanism involves caffeine’s potential to enhance the utilization of fat as fuel, a process known as fat oxidation.

This means that the exercises you perform while under the influence of caffeine may burn more fat as a source of energy.

Caffeine in drinks

Caffeine can be commonly found in beverages such as coffee and various types of tea. Coffee tends to have the highest caffeine content, although matcha can offer similar levels, depending on how it’s prepared and consumed.

This is typically followed by the more processed and fermented teas like black and oolong tea. Regular green and white teas are believed to contain the least caffeine. Pure herbal teas typically do not contain caffeine.

Interestingly, the idea that caffeine content differs significantly between different types of tea may not be well backed by any research.

A study found that there was no discernible difference in caffeine content between white, green, and black teas.

Instead, the caffeine levels in these teas primarily depended on the brand or quality of the tea leaves, as well as factors like brewing time and water temperature.

So choosing between green, white, or black tea may not matter as much as choosing between say Tetley or Lipton, or organic or non-organic tea bags in terms of caffeine content.

So clearly, caffeine is not unique to green tea, and because research has shown that caffeine can have a small weight loss effect by itself, one needs to ask themselves whether green tea offers unique weight loss benefits beyond caffeine.

Because if not, then green tea is no more effective than other caffeinated teas like black or oolong tea, which may contain even higher caffeine levels than green tea.

In fact, one of the reasons behind the conflicting findings in green tea’s effects on weight loss might be due the varying caffeine content in different green teas, with those higher in caffeine tending to produce more consistent weight loss results.

EGCG content

So we turn to the catechin content, particularly one type of catechin called epigallocatechin gallate, or simply EGCG, which is more unique to green tea, to see whether or not these green tea catechins, especially EGCG, can help support weight loss.

EGCG and obesity

EGCG seems to work synergistically with caffeine by improving fat usage and oxidation in animal models. There is also some evidence that EGCG might suppress appetite in animal research.

Studies have indicated that green tea extract high in catechins but devoid of caffeine can also contribute to weight and visceral fat reduction.

However, the amount of catechins required to achieve any significant additional benefits seems to be quite high.

A comprehensive meta-analysis of 25 trials showed an average weight loss of 1.8 kg over 12 weeks for those taking green tea extract with caffeine, but only showed effects in those who were taking over 500-800 mg of catechins per day.

Consuming doses lower than 500 mg of EGCG per day doesn’t seem to provide the same level of benefit for weight or fat loss.

ECGC in drinks

Many people typically enjoy one, perhaps two cups of green tea each day. To obtain the weight-related benefits from the catechins in green tea, you’d need to consume around eight cups or more daily. And many green tea extract supplements fall short of providing 500 mg of EGCG per day.

You may be able to reach that dose by having a few cups of matcha per day, since it’s like a more concentrated green tea, however matcha is significantly more expensive.

These issues highlight the practical challenges of using green tea and EGCG for any actual weight loss.

Regarding sources of EGCG, it’s a common misconception that green tea is the only way to get it.

While coffee, herbal teas, and black tea contain minimal, if any, EGCG, other teas like oolong and white tea do contain this beneficial compound. In fact, white tea often boasts higher EGCG concentrations.

Notably, matcha, a finely powdered green tea, is believed to deliver substantially more EGCG compared to other teas. This is because, in matcha, you consume the entire powdered tea, whereas in other teas, the leaves are steeped and then discarded.

So with other teas potentially offering comparable caffeine and EGCG content, it raises questions about green tea’s unique role in weight loss.

Is it exclusive to green tea, or can other teas contribute to weight loss too? It’s a good question, and all I can say for sure is that although research on other teas in relation to obesity do exist, green tea has been studied far more extensively than any other tea.

Why? Perhaps it’s due to green tea’s widespread popularity and availability, or maybe a stronger industry push from green tea manufacturers, it’s hard to say.

However, this doesn’t necessarily indicate that green tea is superior to other teas. Based on the chemical composition of various teas, it’s plausible that other options like oolong and white tea may be just as effective as green tea in supporting weight management.

Matcha

Let’s take a moment to explore matcha, a distinct powdered form of green tea that sets itself apart. Unlike regular green tea, matcha is fully consumed, leaves and all, rather than being removed.

This unique fact results in matcha often providing much more of both caffeine and catechins than steeped green tea.

Matcha comes in two main varieties: ceremonial and culinary.

Ceremonial grade is often considered the premium quality option. It’s crafted from the initial harvest of green tea leaves, has a vibrant green hue, and offers a smoother flavor. It’s also the pricier choice and is traditionally used in, as its name suggests, tea ceremonies.

On the other hand, culinary grade is deemed the more affordable option. It’s sourced from later harvests of green tea leaves, has a duller green color with a hint of yellow, and tends to be slightly bitter in taste. Culinary grade matcha frequently finds its place as an ingredient in cooking or supplements.

Despite the difference in price and taste, there isn’t a substantial difference in nutritional value between ceremonial and culinary grade matcha. Both varieties contain similar amounts of caffeine and catechins.

The primary distinctions between the two lie in their flavor, color, texture, and how enjoyable they are as a tea, rather than their actual health benefits.

Other health benefits

So when it comes to weight loss, it’s safe to say that green tea plays a more supportive role. Achieving significant weight loss through green tea alone is quite unlikely.

However, it boasts more evidence-based research for weight management than many other supplements, and there are other advantages it can offer in the realm of obesity.

For instance, green tea has demonstrated potential in managing high cholesterol levels, specifically in reducing both total cholesterol and LDL in clinical studies.

There’s also substantial evidence supporting its role in cardiovascular health, decreasing the risk of cardiovascular events and death associated with heart disease.

Additionally, regular consumption of green tea may lower the risk of developing certain types of cancers, particularly endometrial and ovarian cancer.

Since these health issues are often more prevalent among overweight and obese individuals, incorporating green tea into your routine, alongside its potential role in weight loss, can absolutely be worthwhile to do.

Health risks

Despite its well-documented benefits, green tea does come with some health risks. Reports have shown that the consumption of large quantities of concentrated green tea can lead to acute liver injury.

The literature contains more than 100 cases of liver injury, with most linked to green tea extracts and supplements rather than regular green tea consumption.

Many over-the-counter weight loss supplements, including popular brands like Hydroxycut, Dexatrim, Slimquick, and Slimcut Fat Burner, which contain green tea extracts, have been implicated in rare instances of acute liver injury.

Typically, liver issues arise within 1 to 6 months of starting the product and tend to resolve when the product is discontinued.

It’s interesting to note that the connection between green tea and liver injury may be associated to a specific genetic marker connected to our immune system.

This genetic connection, along with the observation that these liver problems tend to recur more frequently and quickly in certain individuals, suggests two important things.

Firstly, this issue may be genetic, affecting only those with a specific genetic predisposition.

Secondly, the liver damage may be due to the immune system, rather than being caused by any harmful substance in the tea itself.

In other words, some people seem to have an immune system sensitivity to green tea, which triggers immune responses and leads to liver injury over time.

Dr. Brian’s Take

I’ve mentioned this before, and it’s worth repeating: actually sipping on a cup of green tea is a cheaper, safer, and more effective way to reap its benefits.

When you choose to enjoy the real thing, you get the full package, including both the caffeine and EGCG content, along with other beneficial compounds found in green tea we haven’t even touched on, such as L-theanine. These all work together to support weight management. Plus, it keeps you well-hydrated.

So, if you’re a fan of green tea, enjoy it with the knowledge that there’s solid evidence supporting its positive impact on your weight and overall health. Just don’t expect it to help you lose a lot weight by itself.

Top supplement choices

• Caffeine anhydrous – 1 cap / day
• Green tea (caps) – 2 to 4 caps / day
• Green tea (teabags, decaf) – 1 to 4 cups / day
• Green tea (teabags) – 1 to 4 cups / day

Learn more about

• Is Coffee Good For Weight Loss?
• Green Tea For Weight Loss
• Green Coffee Bean For Weight Loss
• Other weight loss supplements

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