Green Tea Facts
Here are a few medical facts about the green tea diet.
1. Green tea regulates blood sugar and insulin levels. Steep spikes of insulin tell the body it needs to store store fat. As Dr. Perricone puts it, “elevated insulin puts a lock on body fat.” Coffee, on the other hand, contains an ingredient that raises blood sugar levels, which in turn, produces elevated levels of insulin. Green tea regulates blood sugar itself, preventing the production of surplus insulin. “If you do nothing else but substitute coffee with green tea, your insulin levels will drop and you will lose weight,” says Dr. Perricone.
2. Green tea boosts metabolism. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition released a medical research study in which metabolism rates were increased by 4% in a 24 hour period. A phytochemical in green tea elicits thermogenic activity in the body (the rate at which your body burns calories). This phytochemical also increases oxidation of body fat (the burning of fat cells).
3. Green tea trims appetite. Fat loss of 21% of body weight was measured in laboratory rats in a University of Chicago study. The researchers concluded that the fat loss was due to considerable loss of appetite and reduced calorie intake. While Dr. Perricone has not referred to appetite suppression as a benefit of green tea, several other studies have also affirmed this theory.
