Showing posts with label University of Chicago. Show all posts
Showing posts with label University of Chicago. Show all posts
Green Tea and Polyphenols
What are Polyphenols?
Polyphenols are compounds found in nature. More specifically they are found in plants and provide coloring for some. Their purpose appears to be a potent, natural antioxidant. There are many plants that we consume that contain polyphenols. Concentrations are high in Olive oil and Green Tea and have been the subject of many health articles and promoted to enhance your health.
How do Polyphenols work?
These antioxidants eliminate free radicals, unstable molecules that are the major cause of both aging and disease, in both plants and humans. Free radicals continually attack the body. Free radicals are a normal product of metabolism and result in a process called oxidation. Polyphenols and other antioxidants, including beta carotene (a vitamin A precursor), vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium, scavenge these free radicals and help to prevent formation of unstable oxygen molecules, known as oxidation. Oxidation can damage healthy cells in the body and have been linked to many diseases including cancer, heart disease and stroke. Polyphenols not only work to prevent diseases but may also help to reduce abnormal cells and inflammation; get rid of cancer causing agents and restore cells back to normal health.
What foods contain Polyphenols?
There are many but there are only a few, which contain particularly high levels. They include red wine, olive oil, black and green tea. Green Tea is the #1 source of polyphenols. These extremely high levels of polyphenols deliver green tea's unique results in several ways. Just one example is a subgroup of polyphenols, exclusive to green tea, called catechins. EGCG, the most abundant and powerful of green tea's 5 main catechins, is dubbed the 'super antioxidant' because it is 200 times more powerful than the popular antioxidant vitamin E. Unfortunately, polyphenols have a quick life span (short half life) of about 3 hours, thus the scientific reason behind researchers' recommendation to drink green tea a minimum of 8 times a day.
Not only may green tea protect and heal the body from disease but also clinical trials, conducted by the University of Geneva, in Switzerland, indicate that green tea raises metabolic rates and speed up fat oxidation. In addition to caffeine, green tea's catechin polyphenols raise thermogenesis (the rate at which calories are burned) and hence increases energy expenditure. And, research at the University of Chicago has shown green tea extract injections in rats to cause appetite suppression. They consumed 60 percent less food and lost 21 percent of their body weight. However, as explained by the scientists, a person would have to drink green tea almost constantly to obtain these results. Green tea patches have been developed as a solution. They contain up to 300mg of polyphenols (30 times the potency of regular green tea) and provide a constant supply over 48 hours.
Research is still continuing with green tea and more health benefits continue to be discovered. For instance, EGCG's may one day play a role in treatment of mad cow disease (Nature Structural and Molecular Biology, DOI:10.1038/nsmb743). And the formation of unstable oxygen molecules in the body is unavoidable. Aging, smoke, and environmental pollutants are all sources of the damaging free radicals. Japan and China have benefited from drinking green tea vs. black tea, like the rest of us, for centuries. The west is just now catching on to the benefits of green tea. With green tea being no more harmful than a cup of coffee (and actually containing less caffeine) there's no reason why you shouldn't begin today to benefit from green tea too.
Chemical name:
Various
Also known as:
Green Tea Polyphenols, Green Tea Water Extract, Black Tea Polyphenols, Black Tea Water Extract, Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG), Polyphenon E (Mitsui-Norin, Ltd.), Topical Polyphenon E (Epitome Pharmaceuticals Ltd.)
Category:
Phytochemical
Source: Free Articles
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Can You Really Lose Weight With Green Tea?
There's recently been a LOT in the weight loss news concerning green tea.
Green tea's weight loss effects have been causing more and more people to start sipping the ancient Japanese brew.
But just how does green tea help you lose weight? And does it really work or is it all just hype? This article gives you the real facts about drinking green tea to lose weight.
Advantages of Drinking Green Tea for Weight Loss:
1) Green tea revs up your metabolism
A study reported on in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that green tea extract resulted in a significant increase in energy expenditure (a metabolism 'boost').
The researchers also concluded that that over a 24-hour period, green tea extract increases the metabolic rate by 4%. These effects are probably due to the high concentrations of catechin polyphenols found in green tea. These work to help intensify levels of fat oxidation and thermogenesis (the rate at which your body burns calories).
2) Green tea inhibits fat absorption and helps glucose regulation
Experts tell us that the catechins in green tea help to inhibit the movement of glucose into fat cells. Green tea may also act as al glucose regulator. It helps to slow the rise in blood sugar after a meal. This prevents high insulin spikes (lots of insulin promotes fat storage) and the subsequent fat storage.
3) Green tea may help reduce appetite
Scientists at the University of Chicago found that green tea caused rats to lose up to 21 percent of their body weight. Rats injected with a green tea extract lost their appetites and consumed up to 60 percent less food after seven days of daily injections. This may have something to do with the blood sugar regulating effects of green tea.
4) Green tea can help you save calories on your morning brew.
We are a nation hooked on our java. Be it the regular double-cream, double-sugar standard or that mocha, dappa, frappucinno, the calories we ingest just to get our morning caffeine is wreaking havoc on our waistlines.
If you want to save mega-calories in the morning but still get your caffeine fix, try substituting green tea for coffee. Or have a green tea in the afternoon instead of that 700 calorie mocha-chillate dream. You'll definitely notice the difference in your waistline after a few weeks.
So there are 4 ways that green tea can help you with weight loss. But how much do you actually have to drink to get these amazing metabolism boosting effects?
Experts vary but the general consensus seems to be that 3 - 5 cups of green tea per day is optimal. Doing this can help you burn an extra 70 calories per day which amounts to 7 pounds per year. Pretty good for not exercising or cutting calories, right?
However, 3 - 5 cups can be a lot for some people, so you might also want to consider green tea extract, green tea pills or a green tea patch.
Disadvantages of Drinking Green Tea For Weight Loss:
#1) Green tea is not a magic bullet
While some people will tell you that green tea is the be-all-end-all for weight loss success, I think the keyword here is balance. You're not going to eat 5000 calories a day, drink a cup of green tea and make it all go away - it just isn't going to happen. A healthy diet and increased exercise will go a long way in helping you lose weight and keep it off.
#2) Be cautious of the caffeine if you have health problems
For some people that have heart troubles, high blood pressure or stimulant sensitivities, the caffeine in green tea may not be the best idea. If you're worried about the caffeine from green tea, try taking green tea extract. Most green tea extract is made from decaffeinated green tea so you can still get the weight loss benefits without the caffeine.
If you think the caffeine may be a problem, make sure to consult your doctor before starting green tea for weight loss. Also make sure to consult your doctor before starting green tea if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Bottom Line: Green tea helps you with weight loss by boosting your metabolic rate, regulating your blood sugar, suppressing your appetite and giving you something else besides that high calorie, high sugar coffee beverage to drink in the morning. While it's not the magic bullet, it can definitely give you a boost in weight loss and in your overall health!
Kathryn O'Neill is a contributing writer to Diet and Weight Loss Reviews . For more free weight loss tips and diet reviews, visit http://www.freetobethin.com.
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