Green Tea Extract Increases Metabolism, May Aid in Weight Loss

In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it was found that green tea extract causes a significant increase in energy expenditure (a measure of metabolism) and also has a significant effect on fat oxidation. Although it was originally thought that the effect was due to the caffeine content in green tea, the researchers found that the tea has properties that exceed the properties that caffeine can explain.

The same amount of caffeine as in the green tea administered alone did not change the energy consumption in other studies. This led researchers to believe that the active ingredients in green tea are involved in the promotion of fat metabolism and oxidation.

The researchers point out that their findings are important for weight control. Green tea extracts generally have an increase in energy consumption 24 hours a day, but studies have found that additional costs occur during the day. This led them to conclude that because heat production (the body’s combustion rate) represents 8-10% of the daily energy consumption of a typical project, a 4% increase in the total energy consumption of the Green tea is an increase in heat production during the day 35-43%.