Green tea weight loss has been the talk of the town recently. The brew’s beneficial health effects have been enticing more people to start including green tea in their daily diet. Here are the reasons why green tea is touted as the natural way to lose weight.

Green tea speeds up your metabolism.

A study has found that green tea extract helped increase energy expenditure, or enhancement in the body’s metabolism process. Researchers were able to conclude that green tea causes a boost in a person’s metabolic rate by 4 percent. The effects were considered to be a result of the activity of major green tea components called catechin polyphenols. These substances function by helping to improve the process of fat oxidation and thermogenesis, which refers to the rate at which the body burns calories. The increase of a person’s metabolic rate then causes a greater number of calories to be burned and body fat to be lowered, rendering green tea weight loss programs effective.

Green tea regulates glucose and slows down fat absorption.

Green tea has been found to be valuable in regulating the body’s glucose by slowing the rise in blood sugar, most especially after a meal. By acting as a glucose regulator, green tea prevents high insulin spikes, which leads to fat storage. Green tea also helps by slowing down the action of amylase, a certain digestive enzyme. The course involving the slowing down of amylase is essential in green tea weight loss as this helps stem the breakdown of starches or carbohydrates, which are the main causes why blood sugar levels rise after a meal. The catechins in green tea also help to suppress the passage of glucose into fat cells. The effectiveness of green tea weight loss programs are then made possible through glucose regulation and the repression of fat absorption.

Green tea weight loss programs can help cut down calories.

Compared to coffee, green tea is a more suitable drink for people who want their caffeine fix but don’t want the extra calories. Drinking coffee with calorie-loaded cream and sugar wreaks havoc on your waistline. Due to this, green tea weight loss programs advise against taking coffee to help cut back on calorie intake and eventually lose weight.

Green tea may help decrease the desire for food.

Animal studies done by scientists revealed that green tea can help lose up to 21 percent of body weight in rats. In the experiment, rats were injected daily with a green tea extract for seven days. The results showed that the rats lost their food cravings, which was evident in their food consumption that experienced a decrease of up to 60 percent. Researchers suggested that the reaction may have been caused by the way green tea regulates blood sugar.

With all these green tea weight loss benefits, people may wonder just how much green tea they have to take. Though answers vary, it’s generally considered that 3 to 5 cups of green tea day is most favorable. This amount can help burn an additional 70 calories a day.