Lahore: A new study has found that green tea can help with weight loss. The debate has long raged over whether the drink impacts people’s waistlines. But a new study by a team of scientists at Anglia Ruskin University revealed when combined with exercise, green tea does help shed fat.
To test their theory, the researchers tested a capsule of decaffeinated green tea extra on 14 active men. Seven of the volunteers, who had an average age of 21, took the green tea capsule, while the other seven men were given a placebo. The pills contained 571mg of decaffeinated green tea extract.
It is thought to be the first time a study has used the decaffeinated version of the tea in tests focusing on weight loss and performance. As a result, any questions about the potential stimulating effects of caffeine were removed.
The team’s findings revealed those who took the green tea extract reduced their body fat by 1.63 percent, compared with those in the placebo group. Meanwhile, fat oxidation rates increased by 25 percent. This is important because fat oxidation aids weight loss.
The 14 volunteers were asked to cycle for one hour, three times a week. Those taking the capsule noted their performance increased by 10.9 percent over a four-week period, increasing the distance they covered from an average of 20.2km to 22.4km.
Dr. Justin Roberts, who led the study, said: ‘It is known that green tea as a drink can have numerous health benefits as it contains a relatively high amount of an ingredient called EGCG. ‘However, to get the dosage required may require close to six or seven cups of green tea a day.
‘The 571mg capsules tested contained a daily EGCG dose of 400mg. ‘In essence, our study showed that using a green tea extract could help people lose weight if combined with exercise.
‘However, we recognize that a larger scale study is now required.’ The study was published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.
COMPOUND IN GREEN TEA ‘KILLS CANCER CELLS
A compound in green tea has been found to kill mouth cancer cells while leaving healthy cells undamaged. While it was known the drink could help fight the disease, scientists say they have now worked out why.
The breakthrough involved identifying the process by which the substance attacks cancer cells. This, it is hoped, will lead to new treatments for oral cancer and other forms of the disease.
Scientists at Penn State University, in the US, explored the specific mechanism by which the green tea compound is able to target the diseased cells.
