Green Tea

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imported_deolmstead

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I read an article like this and part of me thinks "Great! I drink tea every day, I can just switch to Green, which I like, and that'll be an easy adjustment to help keep the fat off."

The other part of me sniffs the air and thinks "this stinks of someone trying to sell me something."

This forum is where I come for honest scientific analysis, so I'm asking you guys: is there any truth to the science in the article, or is it another "6-pack abs in one week" bit of crap sensationalism?
 
I recall there is pertinent information out there proving that green tea leas to fat loss, but I am not sure if this is due to the antioxidants or the general appetite suppression from drinking tea.
 
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(colby2152 @ Feb. 06 2008,20:45)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I recall there is pertinent information out there proving that green tea leas to fat loss, but I am not sure if this is due to the antioxidants or the general appetite suppression from drinking tea.</div>
Unfortunately most studies looking at green tea intervention have confounding variables included that make a discernable conclusion damn near impossible.

In one study looking at 300mg/day of EGCG there was no difference between placebo in fat loss.

Yet in other studies looking at green tea in combination with caffeine/restricted energy/increased exercise or other variables saw some improvement over caffeine/restricted energy/exerise alone.

So it's really up in the air until some more studies, that acutally are well planned (blinds, double crossover, better variable controlling) are done.
 
I have used green tea for fat loss and must say it was a complete waste of money. I'm currently using chromium for fat loss, and that seems to be more hype than anything else I have heard so far. The only thing that has really helped me from Day 1 on in terms of fat loss is Guaraná powder. Since it comes from Brazil, which is where I'm currently living, it's pretty cheap. It contains guaranine, which is virtually identical to caffeine. The only difference is that it seems to act differently on the body so you don't get the bad side effects you'd get from caffeine. However, if you drink it with coke or alcohol, be prepared not being able to sleep for 2 or 3 days. Otherwise, I can really recommend it. I took doses ranging from 500 mg - 1000 mg and up to twice a day. I found that lower doses like 500 mg about 20 - 30 minutes before cardio worked best.
 
Is it the thermogenic properties of guarana or it's tendency to kill appetite and make you eat less that makes it work...I wonder. I know I like it as much as yohimbe.
 
I have used green tea supplements, but frankly I was just as interested in the caffeine boost as in the EGCG.  My recollection is that to get enough EGCG to make any difference you would have to drink massive quantities of tea, so just switching to green tea is unlikely to make any difference along those lines.  It should, in fact, reduce your caffeine intake relative to black tea, thus reducing the thermic effect.
 
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(Ruthenian @ Feb. 08 2008,19:41)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">My recollection is that to get enough EGCG to make any difference you would have to drink massive quantities of tea,</div>
Exactly, when I had my Blog going (boring so I got rid of it) I posted a study that showed there was no difference in fat loss when using EGCG vs placebo.

But, it could have been the amount (dose) they were using but in order to up the dose and if only getting their EGCG from tea it would take liters of tea to compare.

That's a lot of tea and a lot of pissing.
 
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(Dan Moore @ Feb. 09 2008,09:59)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">But, it could have been the amount (dose) they were using but in order to up the dose and if only getting their EGCG from tea it would take liters of tea to compare.

That's a lot of tea and a lot of pissing.</div>
I read a study once about an Indian chief who had drunk 45 cups of tea in order to investigate the EGCG effects.

Unfortunately, that night he drowned in his teepee...
 
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