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I've been reading more and more articles that tell us to "drink green tea" in order to boost metabolism and increase your fat burning potential.
In order to have these beneficial effects, you would need to drink 3+ cups every day.
I'm just wondering if anyone has tried this, and if so, did you notice any benefits?
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According to many sources, green tea, whether consumed for weight loss or not, has many healthy benefits. Found out more by reading the article I wrote for EmpowHER, The Health Benefits of Green Tea
January 19, 2010 - 8:43amThis Comment
Hey. I drink lot's of green tea and I don't gain weight. But the most important thing is to enjoy tea drinking and not to treat is as something you just 'have to do' and at least 3 cups a day :) Nothing we don't like will help. That's for sure.
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January 19, 2010 - 7:37amThis Comment
5-8 cups of green tea is a lot...especially if you are drinking tea with a higher caffeine content (some green teas can actually be very high in caffeine).
I recently wrote an article about how the health benefits of tea vary among different kinds of tea...it may be interesting to anyone who thinks that green tea is better (for any purposes). I'm pretty strongly convinced that it's not any better--rather, some teas are better for you than others, but there are black teas, green teas, oolong teas, pu-erh teas, and more which are beneficial.
What do others think?
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November 17, 2009 - 2:38pmThis Comment
Cazort,
Your point is well made that not all tea is created equal, and it is the properties within the tea that we need to use as indicators of having potential good health benefits (ie, catechins, the well-known antioxidant), and not to tout a broad category of tea (green, black, oolong, etc) as "the best for health".
Do you mind telling us about your background and or credentials in relation to this topic?
What other characteristics of tea are healthy or not healthy? I'm asking, because I think we're on the same page...we can't make sweeping generalizations about a type of food or beverage that is "best", as they all differ in quality. Also, some substances may be contraindicated for some types of persons or conditions (ie, high-risk pregnancy, as I have, it is highly recommended to severely limit caffeine intake).
When is it good to drink 5-8 cups of high-antioxidant tea, and when is it not? This definitely does not sound like a "moderate" undertaking, as it is difficult for most people to drink 1-2 cups of water a day...I can't imagine many people actually being able to follow this recommendation on a daily basis...that's a lot of tea!
Any negative health effects that you've found in drinking tea, including is it bad on your teeth?
thanks!
November 17, 2009 - 3:46pmThis Comment
Drinking 5-8 cups of green tea every day is very good for health. They help in curing major health problems like cancer, diabetes-2, obesity, teeth and gum health, etc. They are very good to skin and increases the metabolic activity in the body by which we could stay active every time.
November 12, 2009 - 5:29amDrink green tea and get benefited a lot.
This Comment
I more often see oolong tea promoted as a weight-loss tea than green tea. However, studies I've read seem to suggest that this effect is due only to the caffeine content of the tea--as caffeine does have effects on weight gain and loss. This first article studies green tea and finds that while caffeine has an effect, the tea itself does not have any additional effect:
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=913084
The following study essentially says the same thing for Oolong tea:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10094584
Yes, tea is very good for you and has many health benefits, both green tea and other varieties of tea...and yes, it does help you lose weight...but it may just be the caffeine is what is helping you lose weight, at least according to these studies.
October 27, 2009 - 10:47amThis Comment
i personally drink around 10 cups of green tea at work each day, it has essentially replaced drinking water for me, and ever since I started this habit about 6 months ago, i've felt so much healthier. besides the antioxidant benefits, it also can be used to replace coffee for caffeine during the day, green tea isn't as addictive and at the same time you get the resveratrol benefits you'd get from more expensive products like resveratrol ultra, you should read up on the french paradox and resveratrol, links are being made between the effects of drinking green tea and the French Paradox
May 19, 2009 - 12:27pmThis Comment
YES! YES! and another YES! Green tea contains polyphenols which are great to maintaining health. The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots. The latter takes on added importance when you consider that thrombosis (the formation of abnormal blood clots) is the leading cause of heart attacks and stroke.
There is research to support the link between the effects of drinking green tea and the "French Paradox." For years, researchers were puzzled by the fact that, despite consuming a diet rich in fat, the French have a lower incidence of heart disease than Americans. The answer was found to lie in red wine, which contains resveratrol, a polyphenol that limits the negative effects of smoking and a fatty diet. In a 1997 study, researchers from the University of Kansas determined that EGCG is twice as powerful as resveratrol, which may explain why the rate of heart disease among Japanese men is quite low, even though approximately seventy-five percent are smokers.
There is also new evidence that green tea can even help dieters. In November, 1999, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the results of a study at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. Researchers found that men who were given a combination of caffeine and green tea extract burned more calories than those given only caffeine or a placebo.
According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), green tea may help to loose and maintain healhty weight. The NIH has published articles about green tean on several small human studies conducted that addressed the use of green tea extract (GTE) capsules for weight loss or weight maintenance in overweight or average weight individuals. Although study results are mixed, ongoing research will continue to show the many benefits of green tea. I personally drink 8 cups of green tea per day to keep belly weight off. I also take daily supplements of EGCG. Here is the link to theNational Center of Complementary Medicine which is under the NIH organization. This is a great site to learn more about latest research underway with herbs and supplements http://nccam.nih.gov/health/greentea/
January 8, 2009 - 10:15pmThis Comment
I drink green tea, but not to lose weight. Drinking green and black teas are an integral part of my family traditions.
There are antioxidants and health benefits in numerous beverages. Frankly, drinking enough good fluids is what any of us can benefit from - ditch the sugar-laden sodas, diet and otherwise, for water (with lemon, if you need a bit of flavor).
If you want to drink 3+ cups of green tea every day, don't add sugar, lol! I can't tell you how often I see people doing that. A little honey, pure maple syrup or Stevia would be okay. But, we purists drink it "unadulterated."
Sidebar: my boss adds sweetener to his water - yikes!
January 8, 2009 - 6:46pmThis Comment