Message #32676

[Jitendra Hydonus]

# 5 Green Tea

Contains Substances That Can Help You Lose Fat

Tea leaves contain many beneficial compounds.

One of green tea’s compounds is caffeine. Although a cup of green tea holds much less caffeine (24–40 mg) than a cup of coffee (100–200 mg), it still contains enough to have a mild effect.

Caffeine is a well-known stimulant that has been found to aid fat burning and improve exercise performance in numerous studies (1Trusted Source, 2).

However, green tea really shines in its antioxidant content. Studies show that drinking a cup of green tea increases the amount of antioxidants in your bloodstream (3).

This healthy beverage is loaded with potent antioxidants called catechins (4).

The most important of these is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a substance that can boost metabolism.

Although one cup of green tea may raise your antioxidant levels, most studies have examined the benefits of green tea extract — which is a concentrated source of catechins.

SUMMARY
Green tea contains bioactive substances like caffeine and EGCG, which can have powerful effects on metabolism.

Can Mobilize Fat From Fat Cells

To burn fat, your body must first break it down in the fat cell and move it into your bloodstream.

Animal studies suggest that the active compounds in green tea can aid this process by boosting the effects of some fat-burning hormones, such as norepinephrine (noradrenaline).

The main antioxidant in tea, EGCG, can help inhibit an enzyme that breaks down the hormone norepinephrine (5Trusted Source).

When this enzyme is inhibited, the amount of norepinephrine increases, promoting fat breakdown (6).

In fact, caffeine and EGCG — both of which are found naturally in green tea — may have a synergistic effect (7Trusted Source).

Ultimately, your fat cell breaks down more fat, which is released into your bloodstream for use as energy by cells like muscle cells.

SUMMARY
Compounds in green tea increase levels of hormones that tell fat cells to break down fat. This releases fat into the bloodstream and makes it available as energy.