Is Green Tea An Effective Appetite Suppressant & Weight Loss Aid?

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Is Green Tea An Effective Appetite Suppressant & Weight Loss Aid?

Green tea is one of the most popular beverages in the world, besides water. In some Asian societies, the partially fermented leaves of green tea, which come from the Camellia Sinensis plant, are included in many important cultural ceremonies in Japan and China. So we already know that green tea can be a delicious drink. But can green tea also be an appetite suppressant? That's what we're going to discuss in today's post!

Is Green Tea A Good Appetite Suppressant?

Green tea has become more popular in the Western world. Often, it's chosen as a healthier alternative to black tea or other beverages. Green tea can also be a potential weight loss aid—yes, green tea can be an appetite suppressant!

In fact, one of the many benefits of green tea that have been discussed in detail over the years is the beverage's ability to suppress appetite. One of the reasons this tea may have the ability to starve off hunger is that it has various antioxidants and plant compounds that are beneficial to the human body.

Some people also claim that green tea has the ability to burn fat, which is another reason people use it for weight loss. 

How Does Green Tea Work As An Appetite Suppressant: The Breakdown Of Catecholamine

It seems that green tea can suppress appetite, and this may be due to several mechanisms.

First, green tea affects dopamine and norepinephrine in the body. This can lead to decreased hunger and weight loss. Norepinephrine and dopamine are peptide hormones classified as catecholamines that activate the body's sympathetic nervous system. One of the main effects of catecholamines is a reduction in the desire to eat.

According to researchers, EGCG, which is one of the most active compounds in green tea, mediates the desire to consume food by breaking down an enzyme that would usually break down catecholamines.

Caffeine Content

Green tea leaves contain several healthy compounds, including caffeine. This is another way green tea acts as an appetite suppressant.

One cup of green tea has much less caffeine than a cup of coffee; a cup of green tea contains between 24 and 40 mg of caffeine, while coffee has between 100 and 200 mg of caffeine. However, the caffeine in green tea does have a mild effect on the body.

Caffeine is a popular stimulant that helps give people energy, especially in the mornings. The stimulant is also shown to assist in the fat-burning process. Additionally, it improved exercise performance in several research studies.

However, green tea is significantly beneficial when it comes to antioxidants. According to studies, drinking one cup of green tea increases antioxidants in the bloodstream. The antioxidants are called catechins and epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, which can boost the body's metabolism.

Even though one cup of green tea can raise antioxidant levels, most research studies have explored the benefits of green tea extract, a concentrated form of catechins.

(Are you curious if drinking green tea counts as consuming water? Take a look at this post to find out.)

Green Tea And The Production Of CCK

One of the ways green tea manages or suppresses the appetite is through the production of CCK.

CCK is a hormone the intestines release after eating. It alerts the brain that the body has had enough to eat. When CCK is released, the appetite is reduced immediately. This is the main reason people use green tea to suppress their appetite.

(Have a look at this article next to read about some great healthy foods to pair with green tea.)

Burning Fat

Green tea not only potentially stops you from overeating during meals, but evidence shows it can also burn existing fat.

Polyphenols found in green tea, including EGCG, accelerate thermogenesis. This is the process of burning fat and turning it into protein.

Several studies have been conducted to compare the rate of fat burning among a group of individuals who drank green tea against a group who did not consume the tea. The results revealed that the polyphenols in green tea are essential to burning fat. Energy expenditure from fat was only 31.6% of total energy use in the control group. On the other hand, the amount was 41.5% in the group that drank green tea.

Drinking tea in the morning as an alternative to coffee can prove helpful in controlling the appetite. You can also consume green tea during the day with meals to further suppress the appetite and enjoy the many health benefits of this beverage.

Do you want to shop for your new favorite green tea? Use this link to browse all of your options!

This article was originally published in 2019, but updated in 2023.

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