Controversy over Green Tea Diet

Green tea has almost become synonymous with weight loss and diet.

Why Green Tea?

For more than four thousand years, green tea diet has been proliferated throughout Asia as a beneficial health and medicinal drink. Green tea diet is different from all other types of tea diet as its liquid is extracted by steaming the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant as opposed to a full oxidation process. In this way, green tea diet manages to preserve a lot more antioxidants and keep them intact for the body to use.

Green tea diet is an excellent source of polycatechin polyphenols, a group of antioxidants that act on free radicals. These free radicals have harmful effects on the body since they are the major causes of diseases and aging. With green tea diet’s polycatechin polyphenols, a person has a better chance of avoiding ailments and keeping himself healthy for a much longer period of time.

Another antioxidant in green tea diet is also being studied as a potential cure for cancer. Epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG found in green tea diet has been discovered to destroy cancer cells while keeping surrounding healthy cells unharmed. The EGCG in green tea diet also acts with another compound, caffeine (a small amount of this is found in green tea). The interaction of these two compounds causes green tea diet to promote thermogenesis in the body.

It has been noted by a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that with the consumption of green tea diet, the body’s total 24-hour energy expenditure is increased by up to four percent. This is roughly equivalent to losing more than 10 pounds of weight a month.

Green tea diet helps increase the body’s metabolic rates. With its thermogenic properties, it is only natural that green tea diet can also promote faster metabolism of fats and sugars. Excess glucose found in the body is turned into fats by the hormone insulin. Because green tea diet has an inhibiting effect on insulin, green tea diet therefore helps keep sugar from being stored as fats and instead, send them directly into the muscles for immediate use.

The bad about Green Tea

Although green tea diet has a reputation for boosting health, scientific proofs of its health benefits are still somewhat mixed. However, in an article published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, American researchers collaborated with their Chinese counterparts to discuss the beneficial effects of green tea diet on cholesterol levels.

Using 240 men and women (average age 55) who possess mild to moderately high LDL cholesterol levels, the researchers instructed them to retain their usual low-fat diet, green tea diet intake, and activity levels. After twelve weeks, it was found that those who consumed green tea diet extract with their regular meals lost more than fifteen percent of their total LDL cholesterol levels.

Although the researchers never explained how green tea diet may influence cholesterol levels, previous studies have shown that certain compounds in green tea diet play a role in reducing the amount of cholesterol absorbed by the body, increasing amount of cholesterol excreted, and thus keeping cholesterol from being stored in the liver.

Subsequent studies were made to test the findings of the first group of researchers. Their results were contradictory. They found that green tea diet has no significant effect on the cholesterol profiles of their subjects.

There is no such thing as a miracle diet. Green tea diet, like all other diets, needs a lot of work and input from those who enroll in it. Green tea diet required both discipline and heart for it to make any significant impact on your weight loss goals.

Green Tea Diet Plans

Dieting usually does not involve your favorite beverages such as coffee and green tea. However, it is not always the case. With a bit of planning and perseverance, you can incorporate your favorite coffee and green tea into your diet plan and weight regime. Different diet plans which involve green tea are listed below.

Atkins Diet Plan

The Atkins Diet plan is a low-carb diet plan which works best with caffeine-free coffee and green tea. For effective results, use sugar-free sweetener in your green tea and coffee to keep your carbs down.

Blood Type Diet Plan

The Blood Type Diet Plan is a weight loss diet program which is based on your blood group type. The diet plan has more constrained compared to other diet plan such as the Atkins Diet plan, South Beach Diet plan and Zone Diet plan. As people with different blood group types are advised to consume different type of food and beverages. For instance, people with blood group A and AB, coffee beverage is highly advisable, while, it is not advisable for those with blood group O. On the other hand, Green Tea is suitable with any blood group. However, adding sweeteners into green tea should be avoided.

More information on South Beach Diet plan and Zone Diet plan are discussed below.

Paleolithic Diet Plan

Also known as Stone Age Diet plan, this plan is based on the consumption of simple, unprocessed foods that our Neanderthal ancestors would have eaten. This diet plan is perfect for green tea drinkers. Green tea is simple and 100% natural steamed dried leaves from the Camellia sinensis plant. However, adding sweeteners such as processed refined sugar should be avoided.

South Beach Diet Plan

An idea formulated by Dr. Arthur Agatston, the South Beach Diet plan is neither a low-carb nor low-fats diet plan, it “teaches you to rely on the right carbs and the right fats.”

The diet plan comprises of three main phases – Removing your Cravings, Reintroducing Carbs and A Diet for Life. Drinking sugar-free coffee and green tea during all the phases is one of the ways to carry on loosing weight without sacrificing your daily drink. For coffee lovers, you should switch to decaf, since it assists in maintaining your insulin levels. For green tea lovers, there is no worry as it contains minimal amount of caffeine content.

Sugar Busters Diet Plan

As the name of the diet plan implied, people who adopted this into their diet plan avoid any sugar form of intake. Thus making sugar-free coffee and green tea perfect choice.

The Zone Diet Plan

The Zone Diet plan was created by Barry Sears, a ex-researcher from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The diet plan is similar to South Beach Diet plan as it is based on the maintenance and consistency of insulin levels. Thus, decaf coffee and green tea is advised as they do not spike up your insulin level. Sugar substitutes should be used if necessary.