What is Green Tea?
Green tea is a type of tea that is made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis, a plant that is native to Asia. It has been consumed for centuries in China and Japan. It has antioxidant properties and contains polyphenols, compounds within green tea, the most potent one being EGCG, credited for many benefits including weight loss.
Green tea is popularly used among fat burner supplements today, mostly coming in extract form.
But is consuming green tea extract through a supplement the same as drinking green tea?
Is Green Tea Extract The Same As Drinking Green Tea?
We will start by looking at the benefits of drinking green tea and then compare them to the benefits of taking a green tea extract. The benefits of drinking green tea:
- quells hunger
- lowers blood sugar levels
- regulates body weight
- reduces risk of certain cancers
The benefits of taking a green tea extract:
- aids in weight loss by boosting metabolism and burning fat cells
- increases energy levels by increasing the amount of caffeine in your blood
So, is green tea extract the same as drinking green tea? Absolutely not. Drinking loose-leaf green tea is infinitely better than taking an extract pill. When you drink green tea, you get all of the benefits of it that are derived from polyphenols and antioxidants.
There is a sense of satisfaction when you drink an entire glass of it in one sitting due to the actual process of drinking rather than just swallowing a capsule.
All in all, green tea extracts provide powerful antioxidant protection, but they do not provide the same health benefits as drinking green tea. This is because the majority of antioxidants are lost when we extract them from the leaves.
Does Green Tea Have Side Effects?
The main side effect of green tea is insomnia. It is because the caffeine in green tea can keep you awake when it wears off at night. Other possible side effects include headaches, diarrhea, and upset stomach. However, when taken in optimal doses, green tea shouldn’t cause any adverse reactions.
We recommend you to avoid taking green tea at nighttime.
Does Green Tea Extract Contain Caffeine?
Green tea extract contains caffeine, but it is lower than the amount of caffeine in green tea or coffee.
Does Green Tea Aid Weight Loss?
Yes, green tea does aid weight loss. How does green tea aid weight loss? Certain studies have found that green tea can help to reduce weight gain by decreasing the amount of fat absorption in the body. It also helps to speed up the metabolism and suppress appetite.
However, if you’re choosing a fat burner for yourself, you’ll typically come across a green tea extract. Green tea extract is beneficial for weight loss as well, but it is not smart to rely on a single ingredient. Green tea extract is the best when combined with other potent ingredients in fat reduction such as glucomannan, L-Theanine, Vitamin D, and caffeine.
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