Catechins are amazing! Drink green tea to prevent weight gain

Introduction

There is a strong image that "exercise will help you lose weight," but did you know that the ingredients contained in Japanese tea can actually support your diet?

In particular, the caffeine and catechins contained in green tea work to suppress fat burning and absorption, and are expected to have a diet effect.

Causes of Obesity

Obesity occurs when the energy intake exceeds the energy expenditure, and the excess energy is stored in the body as fat.

The carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, etc. contained in food are used as energy for the body, but the excess goes to the liver, where triglycerides are synthesized.

The triglycerides then flow through the bloodstream to the entire body, where they are absorbed by fat cells, causing them to swell. Excessive proliferation of these fat cells leads to obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Green tea is expected to improve this energy balance and prevent obesity by suppressing fat absorption and promoting fat burning.

Why green tea is effective for dieting

The reason why green tea is effective for dieting is due to the action of two ingredients: epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a type of tea polyphenol found only in green tea, and caffeine.

First of all, catechins, the main component of green tea, especially EGCG, have the following effects in reducing body fat:

1. Inhibits fat absorption : By suppressing fat absorption in the intestines, it prevents fat accumulation in the body.
2. Promotes lipid metabolism : Promotes lipid metabolism in the liver, making it easier to convert fat into energy.
3. Suppresses rise in blood sugar levels : By suppressing the rise in blood sugar levels after meals, it prevents fat from being synthesized.

In our bodies, the fat we eat is broken down in the small intestine and converted into an easily absorbed form before being taken into the body.

At this time, an enzyme called lipase secreted from the pancreas plays a role in breaking down fat, but EGCG acts on this lipase to suppress the absorption of fat.

As a result, the amount of fat absorbed into the body is reduced, which is expected to have the effect of preventing body fat from increasing.

In addition, EGCG has a synergistic effect with caffeine, providing even more powerful weight loss benefits.

Caffeine is said to have the effect of stimulating the central nervous system, promoting lipid metabolism (fat burning), and suppressing the accumulation of fat in fat cells and the liver.

Catechin is also said to increase thermogenesis, which in turn increases basal metabolism and makes it easier to burn body fat.

On the other hand, caffeine can also help recover from muscle fatigue and improve athletic performance.

By drinking green tea before exercising and consuming EGCG and caffeine at the same time, you can exercise for a longer period of time at a higher intensity, increasing the efficiency of fat burning and helping to reduce body fat.

For these reasons, drinking green tea is thought to be effective for dieting by suppressing fat absorption, promoting fat burning, and enhancing the effects of exercise.

Research supporting the diet effects of green tea

There is a lot of research, both in animals and in humans, that shows green tea is effective for weight loss.

In animal experiments, mice have long been given green tea catechins or green tea extracts.

These studies have shown that mice who consumed green tea produced feces that were larger in volume and contained undigested starch.

This suggests that green tea catechins may suppress nutrient absorption in the intestine and reduce energy intake.

Furthermore, a recent study has reported that when mice were fed a diet containing green tea powder, weight gain, especially body fat gain, was suppressed.

This suggests that green tea catechins may suppress fat synthesis and fat accumulation in fat cells.

Studies on humans have shown that consuming green tea can reduce body fat percentage and waist circumference.

In particular, there are reports that more pronounced effects can be obtained when consuming green tea that contains a high concentration of catechins.

For example, one study found that when mildly obese people took a high concentration of the catechin EGCG for 12 weeks, the area of ​​subcutaneous fat and visceral fat decreased compared to the placebo group.

These results suggest that catechins have the effect of reducing body fat in humans.

In animal experiments, it was confirmed that fat burning was promoted in mice that ingested green tea while exercising.

These results suggest that combining green tea with exercise may be more effective in achieving weight loss.

As such, various studies have revealed that green tea catechins have a wide range of interactions with fat.

It is expected to have a complex effect that acts on fat, such as suppressing fat absorption, preventing fat production in the body, and breaking down fat that has already accumulated in the body.

These research results suggest that green tea may be useful for dieting, and further research will likely clarify its effects.

How to drink green tea to maximize its diet effects

To get the most out of green tea's diet benefits, it is recommended to drink regular or high-grade sencha brewed with hot water.

By brewing with hot water of 90°C or higher, you can extract caffeine and catechins efficiently. Make sure to steep for at least 2 minutes.

It is recommended to drink this with a meal or 20-30 minutes before exercise.

Gyokuro and matcha are known to be high in caffeine and catechins, but these high-quality teas are difficult to brew, as they require preparation by hand, and so may be a bit difficult to enjoy on a daily basis.

However, high-quality sencha and regular sencha made from new buds also contain sufficient amounts of these ingredients and can be easily consumed.

On the other hand, roasted green tea, genmaicha, bancha, etc. have very low amounts of catechins, only about 20-30% of the amount found in regular sencha, so you cannot expect much effect even if you drink a lot of them for dieting purposes.

summary

What did you think? Green tea is rich in caffeine and catechins, making it a drink that can be expected to have a diet effect.

These ingredients work to suppress fat absorption and promote fat burning, greatly contributing to the diet effect. In particular, drinking Sencha brewed with hot water with meals or before exercise is even more effective.

Drinking green tea is the first step to a healthy diet. Before you start excessive dieting such as restricting your food intake or fasting, why not try drinking green tea every day?