Green Tea?

[Piera]

There is so much research to back up the good properties of green tea that I kinda feel I'm missing out since cutting it out entirely on the ED program. It is way lower in caffeine than coffee and regular tea, so would 1 cup a day really be a problem?

Also would substituting the regular for decaf green tea still provide me the antioxidant benefits? Right now I am drinking rooibos and detox herbal teas, which I enjoy.

Piera

[Piera]

Hey Nina

Yes herbal is allowed. Also Rooibos is naturally decaffeinated, it does not go through a chemical process to remove caffeine, it just never had caffeine to begin with :)

Rooibos is actually now my preferred tea. I do miss my green tea, but the richness and full body taste of the rooibos is a nice change. all the best

Piera

[Emma]

hi - i have been searching for the choco tea and have found a couple of producers, but they seem to have small amounts of caffine in - so not suitable for the ED - can you let me know which brand you use during the ED please? as i know i will get choclate cravings! - i normally keep some dark chocolate and when i want some have a couple of chunks, so i know i will need a plan for those times while i am EDing..
thanks in advance
Emma

Yogini London said:

I avoid the green tea when on ED. However, there are loads of great alternatives; aniseed & fennel is a big favourite of mine.

Plus, not sure if you can get it over there but I like the ayurvedic/ yoga teas. You might be able to get them online. there is even one called Choco which I use to stave off my chocolate cravings, it smells of cinnamon & christmas pudding & chocolate. Yummy!

[birigik]

There's such a small amount of cafeine in chocolate, I don't think it counts. I drink pure cocoa powder mixed with oat milk and sweetended with Agave nectar regularly (I'm on the Elimniation Diet). I feel that the proven benefits far outway the minicule cafeine in the bean.

[birigik]

Yogi Tea: [e-mail], www.yogitea.nl

[Dr. Ken Langdon]

Green Tea and Metabolism

In a study reported on in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it was found that green tea extract resulted in a significant increase in energy expenditure (a measure of metabolism), plus also had a significant effect on fat oxidation. While some of the effects were originally theorized to be due to the caffeine content of green tea, the researchers discovered that the tea actually has properties that go beyond those that would be explained by the caffeine.
The same amount of caffeine as was in the green tea, administered alone, failed to change energy expenditure in other studies. This led researchers to believe that there is some interaction going on with the active ingredients of green tea that promotes increased metabolism and fat oxidation.

The researchers indicated that their findings have substantial implications for weight control. A 4% overall increase in 24-hour energy expenditure was attributed to the green tea extract, however, the research found that the extra expenditure took place during the daytime. This led them to conclude that, since thermogenesis (the body's own rate of burning calories) contributes 8-10% of daily energy expenditure in a typical subject, that this 4% overall increase in energy expenditure due to the green tea actually translated to a 35-43% increase in daytime thermogenesis.



Choosing the Green Teas
One way would be to choose a reputable brand of organic green tea at a health food store or natural grocery, and start by taking a cup of tea every day. You can also take a green tea extract, in the form of a supplement. Green tea may be a good choice for thyroid patients because, unlike caffeine, green tea has the potential to accelerate metabolism -- which can help weight loss slightly -- without over stimulating your adrenal glands.

And even a small effect can go a long way, when you are dealing with a metabolism that may not rebound entirely, despite hypothyroidism treatment.

Is Green Tea Dangerous to the Thyroid if someone suffers from Hypothyroidism?
Thyroid problems, as well as other health concerns are important if one is considering using Green Tea. It does affect one’s metabolism, so care should be used and consulting one’s physician is recommended if someone is taking Thyroid medications and wishes to use Green Teas. Of critical importance to thyroid patients is the fact that none of the research subjects reported any side effects, and no significant differences in heart rates were noticed. In this respect, green tea extract is different from some of the prescription drugs for obesity, and herbal products like ephedra, which can raise heart rates and blood pressure, and are not recommended for many individuals, in particular, those with thyroid disease who may be particularly sensitive to stimulants.



While green tea has some definite benefits in the cancer-prevention and metabolism-boosting arena, the fluoride content may, according to some practitioners, be a concern for the public in general, but specifically for thyroid patients.

Drinking 2-4 cups of green tea per day can help you shed some of that hard-to-lose weight. The International Journal of Obesity states that green tea contains polyphenols that cause your body to produce unnecessary heat, thus "wasting" calories. When preparing green tea, be sure not to use boiling water, as this will cause the tea to be bitter. Also, the longer the tea steeps, the more bitter it will taste.
Unlike the American hot beverage of choice, green tea isn't available on every street corner in every city. But it's difficult to dispute the nutritional benefits of this centuries-favored Asian brew, with its powerful flavonoids and antioxidants considered capable of battling chronic diseases. Now, one group of researchers claims green tea could also boost metabolism -- and help with weight loss.
In a small study, green tea appeared to raise metabolic rates and speed up fat oxidation. "Green tea has thermogenic properties and promotes fat oxidation beyond that explained by its caffeine content per se," says Abdul G. Dulloo, a researcher at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, and lead author of the study published in the current issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Thermogenesis is the calories the body burns while digesting and absorbing food as it's being eaten.
The study involved 10 healthy young males, none of whom was obese but who ranged from lean to mildly overweight. Each was randomly assigned to each of three meals containing one of three treatments: green tea extract (50 mg of caffeine); 50 mg capsule of caffeine; or a placebo capsule. On three separate occasions, each spent 24 hours in a specially designed respiratory chamber in which researchers could measure energy expenditure and thermogenesis. Those who consumed green tea extract had a 4% increase in thermogenesis, with an overall energy expenditure increase of 4.5%.
Kathleen Zelman, RD, an Atlanta-based nutritional consultant and spokesperson for the American Dietetics Association, tells WebMD that she was "not very impressed" because of the study's small number of patients and because the calorie losses were "not enough to make a difference in the life of an obese person." However, "anything we can do to boost metabolism [without using drugs] is wonderful."
The thermogenic benefits that the study cites are relatively small, Zelman says. "If you're consuming 1,500 calories, you'll be burning 60 calories, less than [what's in] a cookie. Of course, every little bit counts, but that's really a drop in the bucket."
"Green tea is emerging as a healthful drink ... more because of its role as an antioxidant," Antioxidants help to prevent the formation of free radicals that cause many diseases, such as cancer. "Tea flavonoids appear to be very potent antioxidants. A significant body of research has shown that diets rich in flavonoids found in tea, fruits, and vegetables are associated with decreased risk of chronic disease and cancer, heart disease, and stroke."
Tea also contains less caffeine (as low as 50 mg per cup), while coffee has 150-200 mg per cup, which Zelman says is a safer alternative for obese people.
"All that -- in addition to the fact that tea could boost your metabolism -- is reason enough to swap out one of those cups of coffee and drink green tea," says Zelman. "You're talking to a coffee drinker here. I love coffee. But the healthful benefits ... they're speculative at best. Drink a cup of tea ... you'll actually be doing something good for yourself."
Some basic information about Green Tea:
· In a small study, green tea has been shown to boost metabolic rates and speed up fat oxidation.
· Calorie losses were small in study subjects and wouldn't make a big difference in the life of an obese person.
· Drinking tea can still be healthy because it contains flavonoids, which are powerful antioxidants that can help protect against cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

A new study out of Switzerland reports that green tea may have the power to raise metabolic rates, speed up fat oxidation and help people lose weight.
Ten healthy men consumed either green tea extract, which contains 50 milligrams of caffeine, 50 milligrams of caffeine alone, or no caffeine at all. Only the group that consumed the green tea extract showed any increase in metabolic rate. Researchers suspect that the powerful antioxidants found in green tea, along with the caffeine, are responsible for its higher fat-burning effects.
Green tea has many health benefits. According to Dr Nagao Tomonoric, green tea is antioxidant, antiviral and anticancer. It also reduces blood pressure and blood sugar.
Previous animal studies have found that green tea reduces cholesterol, body fat and increase metabolism. But what effect does drinking green tea have on HUMAN body fat?
Nagao and his colleagues from Kao Corporation in Japan conducted a small human trial to find out. 38 healthy Japanese men aged 24 to 46 years, whose body weight was normal to overweight, participated. Their energy and fat intakes were strictly monitored. They were not allowed to drink any tea or caffeine beverages.
They drank either green tea or oolong tea at supper for 3 months.
The green tea was enriched and contains 690 milligrams of catechins. The oolong tea served as the control and contained only 22 milligrams of catechins.
The green tea fat metabolism study found that participant’s body weight was 1.5% lower than the control group after 12 weeks. Their waist circumference was 2% lower. The total fat area was 7.5% lower!
As we grow older, our arteries naturally harden. Fats, cholesterols and blood platelets accumulate in the artery wall, forming a layer of antherosclerotic plaque. When they thicken and block the entire artery, a heart attack or stroke occurs.
Nagao found that after 3 months, green tea drinkers' cholesterols were less damaged by free radicals.
Damaged cholesterols can cause antherosclerotic plaque to form. By helping the cholesterols stay in good shape, green tea protects our heart from cardiovascular disease.
EGCG, or epigallocatechin gallate, is what makes green tea so healthy. EGCG is just one of many, many different antioxidants. Lycopene has been mentioned as an important nutrient. It was advertised on a bottle of Heinz ketchup. I was one of the things that were mentioned as a “Healthy Nutrient” available in school lunches, the Ketchup being offered with the fries. Watermelon also has high concentrations of lycopene. So, green tea has antioxidants. What sorts of things can EGCG do?
It is also said green tea can build impaired immune systems up. A compound called Theanine is present in green tea. This compound can boost the ability of 'gamma delta T cells' to fight infections. A 'gamma delta T cell' is a type of white blood cell, which is the body’s main first line of defense. By strengthening the white blood cells, Theanine is basically better equipping the infantry of the body to fight against hostile forces.
Another thing green tea is said to do is speed up metabolism. Some say it is good to drink green tea after a meal to help break down food more effectively. Metabolism divided into two parts; catabolism and anabolism. Catabolism is the process that creates energy, and anabolism uses energy to complete tasks such as building cells. When your body breaks down food, certain damaging chemicals are produced; things such as hydrogen peroxide. To fight this, your body has a complicated set of enzymes to detoxify these chemicals. As you may have guessed, antioxidants can help to boost this process greatly. When the antioxidants mop up these chemicals, more of the enzymes can concentrate on breaking down food for energy, thus speeding catabolism (and thus metabolism).
There has been a lot of talk going around that green tea can help you lose weight. But like it or not, there isn't anything out there that will magically make you lose weight (a 'magic bullet' answer so to speak) with no work or diet change. But green tea can make an excellent addition to a weight-loss diet. There is evidence that the antioxidants in green tea (EGCG) are two hundred times as powerful as vitamin E. Green tea also slows the process of the breakdown of glucose, especially after meals. The rate at which the body burns calories—metabolism—can also be lowered by consumption of green tea. Speeding up your metabolism is a great way to supplement weight loss in many cases. The oxidation of body fats can also be increased.
A good way to lose a couple extra pounds is to replace your morning coffee with green tea. The lowering of your calorie intake and the health benefits of green tea combine to make a healthy diet change.
To get reasonable results, around three to five cups of green tea should be consumed daily. This is, for the average person, quite a lot of drinking to do, and can be a little overwhelming. A great alternative to drinking vast amounts of tea is supplements in the form of pills or extract. Some interesting studies were done on rats and green tea. Those injected with regular doses of EGCG lost 21% of their body weight and ate around 60% less food than normal. This would indicate that the injections limited appetite. The EGCG also lowered the amount of testosterone in the bloodstream by nearly 70%. Interestingly, when the rats were given the EGCG doses orally, the effects decreased. This is probably because of interaction with food, or a poor absorption rate.

Discussion about green tea
Green tea is widely consumed in Asian countries, while black tea is most popular in Western countries. The manufacturing process of green tea differs from that of black tea because freshly picked young leaves of the tea are immediately steamed. This process destroys the enzymes responsible for breaking down the color pigments in the leaves and allows the tea to maintain its green color during the subsequent rolling and drying processes. The amounts of constituent compounds are slightly different from those of black tea. Pharmacological studies using constituent compounds in green tea have been recently reviewed. Green tea extracts are more stable than pure epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the major constituents of green tea, because of the presence of other antioxidant constituents in the extract. In general, herbal medicines are complex mixtures of different compounds that often act in a synergistic fashion and exert their full beneficial effect as total extracts
In a recent study, it was demonstrated that green tea produces an antihyperglycemic (Blood sugar lowering) effect without affecting insulin secretion in diabetic mice. Researchers explored the green tea effect by investigating the serum protein profiles of diabetic mice, a genetic model of type 2 diabetes. Researchers performed a preliminary analysis to determine the peaks (molecular weights) of biomarker proteins that were abnormally contained in the serum of diabetic mice. They found that the levels of several serum proteins in those mice given green tea were significantly altered. There where changes in the levels of several serum proteins tied to diabetes after green tea administration Green tea causes a decrease in serum proteins associated with diabetes to drop significantly.
The changes in serum protein profiles by green tea also demonstrate the decrease in the peak levels of hemoglobin-A1c.after using green tea. Hemoglobin A1c is used as a marker of diabetes in clinical diagnostic tests. Researchers observed that green tea improved oral glucose tolerance in humans. It is therefore likely that green tea is prophylactic against diabetes and can lessen diabetic hyperglycemia. Green tea consumption at moderate doses may be associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.

Conclusions
The control of hyperglycemia by green tea can help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. In the present study, we provide evidence showing that green tea promotes glucose metabolism in healthy humans, and produces an antihyperglycemic effect in diabetic mice. This report demonstrated that a certain serum protein is involved in the antihyperglycemic effect of green tea.
Moreover, we speculate that the observed effects of green tea on Blood Glucose Levels are primarily due to the promotion of insulin action in peripheral tissues, such as skeletal muscles. Indeed, a recent paper showed that green tea supplementation for 12 weeks lessens insulin resistance and increases glucose transporter mechanism resembling the human type 2 diabetes mellitus. Green tea seems to be able to help regulate Blood Glucose Levels not only in the diabetics but also in normal healthy adults.

[Nathalie]

I have fopund a decafeinated green tea. Can i have it or not? I drink only water. Its started to get long.

[Dax Moy]

Hey Piera

The thing is, you're either eliminating caffeine or you're not, right?

I know that green tea is far, far less than coffee or tea but it still has the caffeine and so it has to go for the 30 days. I highly recommend it once the 30 days are over but I've definitely seen a difference between those who stop ALL caffeine and those who keep in even a little...

[Dax Moy]

Hey Nathalie

It depends on the method of decaffination. Many are extracting the caffeine through chemical means...

Most should be ok : )

Dax

Nathalie said:

I have fopund a decafeinated green tea. Can i have it or not? I drink only water. Its started to get long.

[Dax Moy]

Hi Ken

Great info!

I've seen this and other studies supporting green tea in the role of thermogenic aid, though i've read many that say otherwise too.

Personally, I believe that green tea DOES assist in these areas as I've seen many people benefit from it but the ED is about detoxification and cleaning up the system and whilst caffeine is only about 1/3 of that of coffee, nonetheless, it's still caffeine and it's still contributing to 'toxic load' on the body.

That's why I recommend it only AFTER the 30 days of elimination. The benefits on a 'clean' system seem far greater too : )

Dax

Dr. Ken Langdon said:

Green Tea and Metabolism

In a study reported on in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it was found that green tea extract resulted in a significant increase in energy expenditure (a measure of metabolism), plus also had a significant effect on fat oxidation. While some of the effects were originally theorized to be due to the caffeine content of green tea, the researchers discovered that the tea actually has properties that go beyond those that would be explained by the caffeine.
The same amount of caffeine as was in the green tea, administered alone, failed to change energy expenditure in other studies. This led researchers to believe that there is some interaction going on with the active ingredients of green tea that promotes increased metabolism and fat oxidation.

The researchers indicated that their findings have substantial implications for weight control. A 4% overall increase in 24-hour energy expenditure was attributed to the green tea extract, however, the research found that the extra expenditure took place during the daytime. This led them to conclude that, since thermogenesis (the body's own rate of burning calories) contributes 8-10% of daily energy expenditure in a typical subject, that this 4% overall increase in energy expenditure due to the green tea actually translated to a 35-43% increase in daytime thermogenesis.



Choosing the Green Teas
One way would be to choose a reputable brand of organic green tea at a health food store or natural grocery, and start by taking a cup of tea every day. You can also take a green tea extract, in the form of a supplement. Green tea may be a good choice for thyroid patients because, unlike caffeine, green tea has the potential to accelerate metabolism -- which can help weight loss slightly -- without over stimulating your adrenal glands.

And even a small effect can go a long way, when you are dealing with a metabolism that may not rebound entirely, despite hypothyroidism treatment.

Is Green Tea Dangerous to the Thyroid if someone suffers from Hypothyroidism?
Thyroid problems, as well as other health concerns are important if one is considering using Green Tea. It does affect one’s metabolism, so care should be used and consulting one’s physician is recommended if someone is taking Thyroid medications and wishes to use Green Teas. Of critical importance to thyroid patients is the fact that none of the research subjects reported any side effects, and no significant differences in heart rates were noticed. In this respect, green tea extract is different from some of the prescription drugs for obesity, and herbal products like ephedra, which can raise heart rates and blood pressure, and are not recommended for many individuals, in particular, those with thyroid disease who may be particularly sensitive to stimulants.



While green tea has some definite benefits in the cancer-prevention and metabolism-boosting arena, the fluoride content may, according to some practitioners, be a concern for the public in general, but specifically for thyroid patients.

Drinking 2-4 cups of green tea per day can help you shed some of that hard-to-lose weight. The International Journal of Obesity states that green tea contains polyphenols that cause your body to produce unnecessary heat, thus "wasting" calories. When preparing green tea, be sure not to use boiling water, as this will cause the tea to be bitter. Also, the longer the tea steeps, the more bitter it will taste.
Unlike the American hot beverage of choice, green tea isn't available on every street corner in every city. But it's difficult to dispute the nutritional benefits of this centuries-favored Asian brew, with its powerful flavonoids and antioxidants considered capable of battling chronic diseases. Now, one group of researchers claims green tea could also boost metabolism -- and help with weight loss.
In a small study, green tea appeared to raise metabolic rates and speed up fat oxidation. "Green tea has thermogenic properties and promotes fat oxidation beyond that explained by its caffeine content per se," says Abdul G. Dulloo, a researcher at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, and lead author of the study published in the current issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Thermogenesis is the calories the body burns while digesting and absorbing food as it's being eaten.
The study involved 10 healthy young males, none of whom was obese but who ranged from lean to mildly overweight. Each was randomly assigned to each of three meals containing one of three treatments: green tea extract (50 mg of caffeine); 50 mg capsule of caffeine; or a placebo capsule. On three separate occasions, each spent 24 hours in a specially designed respiratory chamber in which researchers could measure energy expenditure and thermogenesis. Those who consumed green tea extract had a 4% increase in thermogenesis, with an overall energy expenditure increase of 4.5%.
Kathleen Zelman, RD, an Atlanta-based nutritional consultant and spokesperson for the American Dietetics Association, tells WebMD that she was "not very impressed" because of the study's small number of patients and because the calorie losses were "not enough to make a difference in the life of an obese person." However, "anything we can do to boost metabolism [without using drugs] is wonderful."
The thermogenic benefits that the study cites are relatively small, Zelman says. "If you're consuming 1,500 calories, you'll be burning 60 calories, less than [what's in] a cookie. Of course, every little bit counts, but that's really a drop in the bucket."
"Green tea is emerging as a healthful drink ... more because of its role as an antioxidant," Antioxidants help to prevent the formation of free radicals that cause many diseases, such as cancer. "Tea flavonoids appear to be very potent antioxidants. A significant body of research has shown that diets rich in flavonoids found in tea, fruits, and vegetables are associated with decreased risk of chronic disease and cancer, heart disease, and stroke."
Tea also contains less caffeine (as low as 50 mg per cup), while coffee has 150-200 mg per cup, which Zelman says is a safer alternative for obese people.
"All that -- in addition to the fact that tea could boost your metabolism -- is reason enough to swap out one of those cups of coffee and drink green tea," says Zelman. "You're talking to a coffee drinker here. I love coffee. But the healthful benefits ... they're speculative at best. Drink a cup of tea ... you'll actually be doing something good for yourself."
Some basic information about Green Tea:
· In a small study, green tea has been shown to boost metabolic rates and speed up fat oxidation.
· Calorie losses were small in study subjects and wouldn't make a big difference in the life of an obese person.
· Drinking tea can still be healthy because it contains flavonoids, which are powerful antioxidants that can help protect against cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

A new study out of Switzerland reports that green tea may have the power to raise metabolic rates, speed up fat oxidation and help people lose weight.
Ten healthy men consumed either green tea extract, which contains 50 milligrams of caffeine, 50 milligrams of caffeine alone, or no caffeine at all. Only the group that consumed the green tea extract showed any increase in metabolic rate. Researchers suspect that the powerful antioxidants found in green tea, along with the caffeine, are responsible for its higher fat-burning effects.
Green tea has many health benefits. According to Dr Nagao Tomonoric, green tea is antioxidant, antiviral and anticancer. It also reduces blood pressure and blood sugar.
Previous animal studies have found that green tea reduces cholesterol, body fat and increase metabolism. But what effect does drinking green tea have on HUMAN body fat?
Nagao and his colleagues from Kao Corporation in Japan conducted a small human trial to find out. 38 healthy Japanese men aged 24 to 46 years, whose body weight was normal to overweight, participated. Their energy and fat intakes were strictly monitored. They were not allowed to drink any tea or caffeine beverages.
They drank either green tea or oolong tea at supper for 3 months.
The green tea was enriched and contains 690 milligrams of catechins. The oolong tea served as the control and contained only 22 milligrams of catechins.
The green tea fat metabolism study found that participant’s body weight was 1.5% lower than the control group after 12 weeks. Their waist circumference was 2% lower. The total fat area was 7.5% lower!
As we grow older, our arteries naturally harden. Fats, cholesterols and blood platelets accumulate in the artery wall, forming a layer of antherosclerotic plaque. When they thicken and block the entire artery, a heart attack or stroke occurs.
Nagao found that after 3 months, green tea drinkers' cholesterols were less damaged by free radicals.
Damaged cholesterols can cause antherosclerotic plaque to form. By helping the cholesterols stay in good shape, green tea protects our heart from cardiovascular disease.
EGCG, or epigallocatechin gallate, is what makes green tea so healthy. EGCG is just one of many, many different antioxidants. Lycopene has been mentioned as an important nutrient. It was advertised on a bottle of Heinz ketchup. I was one of the things that were mentioned as a “Healthy Nutrient” available in school lunches, the Ketchup being offered with the fries. Watermelon also has high concentrations of lycopene. So, green tea has antioxidants. What sorts of things can EGCG do?
It is also said green tea can build impaired immune systems up. A compound called Theanine is present in green tea. This compound can boost the ability of 'gamma delta T cells' to fight infections. A 'gamma delta T cell' is a type of white blood cell, which is the body’s main first line of defense. By strengthening the white blood cells, Theanine is basically better equipping the infantry of the body to fight against hostile forces.
Another thing green tea is said to do is speed up metabolism. Some say it is good to drink green tea after a meal to help break down food more effectively. Metabolism divided into two parts; catabolism and anabolism. Catabolism is the process that creates energy, and anabolism uses energy to complete tasks such as building cells. When your body breaks down food, certain damaging chemicals are produced; things such as hydrogen peroxide. To fight this, your body has a complicated set of enzymes to detoxify these chemicals. As you may have guessed, antioxidants can help to boost this process greatly. When the antioxidants mop up these chemicals, more of the enzymes can concentrate on breaking down food for energy, thus speeding catabolism (and thus metabolism).
There has been a lot of talk going around that green tea can help you lose weight. But like it or not, there isn't anything out there that will magically make you lose weight (a 'magic bullet' answer so to speak) with no work or diet change. But green tea can make an excellent addition to a weight-loss diet. There is evidence that the antioxidants in green tea (EGCG) are two hundred times as powerful as vitamin E. Green tea also slows the process of the breakdown of glucose, especially after meals. The rate at which the body burns calories—metabolism—can also be lowered by consumption of green tea. Speeding up your metabolism is a great way to supplement weight loss in many cases. The oxidation of body fats can also be increased.
A good way to lose a couple extra pounds is to replace your morning coffee with green tea. The lowering of your calorie intake and the health benefits of green tea combine to make a healthy diet change.
To get reasonable results, around three to five cups of green tea should be consumed daily. This is, for the average person, quite a lot of drinking to do, and can be a little overwhelming. A great alternative to drinking vast amounts of tea is supplements in the form of pills or extract. Some interesting studies were done on rats and green tea. Those injected with regular doses of EGCG lost 21% of their body weight and ate around 60% less food than normal. This would indicate that the injections limited appetite. The EGCG also lowered the amount of testosterone in the bloodstream by nearly 70%. Interestingly, when the rats were given the EGCG doses orally, the effects decreased. This is probably because of interaction with food, or a poor absorption rate.

Discussion about green tea
Green tea is widely consumed in Asian countries, while black tea is most popular in Western countries. The manufacturing process of green tea differs from that of black tea because freshly picked young leaves of the tea are immediately steamed. This process destroys the enzymes responsible for breaking down the color pigments in the leaves and allows the tea to maintain its green color during the subsequent rolling and drying processes. The amounts of constituent compounds are slightly different from those of black tea. Pharmacological studies using constituent compounds in green tea have been recently reviewed. Green tea extracts are more stable than pure epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the major constituents of green tea, because of the presence of other antioxidant constituents in the extract. In general, herbal medicines are complex mixtures of different compounds that often act in a synergistic fashion and exert their full beneficial effect as total extracts
In a recent study, it was demonstrated that green tea produces an antihyperglycemic (Blood sugar lowering) effect without affecting insulin secretion in diabetic mice. Researchers explored the green tea effect by investigating the serum protein profiles of diabetic mice, a genetic model of type 2 diabetes. Researchers performed a preliminary analysis to determine the peaks (molecular weights) of biomarker proteins that were abnormally contained in the serum of diabetic mice. They found that the levels of several serum proteins in those mice given green tea were significantly altered. There where changes in the levels of several serum proteins tied to diabetes after green tea administration Green tea causes a decrease in serum proteins associated with diabetes to drop significantly.
The changes in serum protein profiles by green tea also demonstrate the decrease in the peak levels of hemoglobin-A1c.after using green tea. Hemoglobin A1c is used as a marker of diabetes in clinical diagnostic tests. Researchers observed that green tea improved oral glucose tolerance in humans. It is therefore likely that green tea is prophylactic against diabetes and can lessen diabetic hyperglycemia. Green tea consumption at moderate doses may be associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.

Conclusions
The control of hyperglycemia by green tea can help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. In the present study, we provide evidence showing that green tea promotes glucose metabolism in healthy humans, and produces an antihyperglycemic effect in diabetic mice. This report demonstrated that a certain serum protein is involved in the antihyperglycemic effect of green tea.
Moreover, we speculate that the observed effects of green tea on Blood Glucose Levels are primarily due to the promotion of insulin action in peripheral tissues, such as skeletal muscles. Indeed, a recent paper showed that green tea supplementation for 12 weeks lessens insulin resistance and increases glucose transporter mechanism resembling the human type 2 diabetes mellitus. Green tea seems to be able to help regulate Blood Glucose Levels not only in the diabetics but also in normal healthy adults.