Green Tea Metabolism
Is There A Relationship Between Green Tea and Metabolism?
When looking into the relationship between green tea and metabolism, several questions arise. There is little argument that green tea is a healthy beverage, providing a number of benefits. Green tea is a healthier beverage than is coffee, at least form the standpoint of caffeine, and green tea contains several nutrients and antioxidant properties that coffee does not. The argument that if we substituted a cup of green tea for a cup of coffee at meal time we would be healthier in the long run may hold some water, but most Americans will not be convinced that they would be any happier. There is something about "enjoying a second cup of green tea for breakfast" that just doesn't sound all that enticing.
Good News, But Exaggerated - There is a relationship between green tea and metabolism, and it is a healthy relationship. The problem is, the supposed benefits appear often to be exaggerated. If you're obese, green tea will assist your efforts in losing weight. Note that assisting your efforts is far different from actually causing weight loss. Green tea and green tea extract are believed to increase metabolism and increasing metabolism means more calories are being burned, which can be translated into losing weight.
If drinking a cup of green tea increases metabolism, and it appears too, drinking several cups should increase metabolism more. The extra calories burned however are a small percentage of the calories burned normally in the course of a day. Green tea is a very good beverage when it comes to maintaining weight or trying to avoid weight gain, but so is coffee, whereas soda pop is not very good. Green tea in conjunction with other healthy foods, and together with exercise, will assist in maintaining a healthy weight and may assist in losing some weight, but is not powerful enough to cause significant weight loss on its own.
Torture Statistics And They Will Talk - In promoting green tea as a weight loss product, it appears that in some instances the results of clinical experiments are exaggerated or misinterpreted. For one thing, published results of a green tea and metabolism study were based on a scientifically tiny data sample, too small to have much relevance. Yet many took this information and ran with it, knowing that if you torture data or statistics long enough, they will tell you anything you want them to. A study indicating some correlation between the amount of green tea ingested and an increase of metabolism, suddenly became a study proving green tea is a powerful weight reducing agent.
Few If Any Side Effects - Green tea is a wonderful beverage. About the only harm that can come from drinking it may be to people with thyroid problems who may suffer a reaction from the fluoride present in green tea. While this is a concern to some, any negative relationship between fluoride present in green tea and the function of thyroid gland remains to be proven, and many will say that those with a thyroid condition can feel perfectly safe in drinking green tea. Aside from that, consuming green tea is not noted for producing any significant side effects. Green tea is healthier than coffee and healthier than soda pop. Green tea has powerful antioxidant properties which is really the best reason for drinking it.
Humbug - Green tea is highly recommended as part of a healthy diet, and drinking it as the beverage of choice will probably do one much good, just as long as that person doesn't expect to lose 30 or 40 pounds of unwanted weight and is looking to green tea as the mechanism to accomplish that. Green tea and metabolism? Humbug.