Green Tea Can Help Obese People Lose Weight According to Study

Key Takeaways

• Green tea aids weight loss when consumed for over 12 weeks at doses under 800 mg per day.
• Lower doses (under 500 mg daily) led to greater weight reduction but didn’t significantly reduce waist size.
• Best results require pairing green tea with diet and exercise rather than using it alone.

This flavonoid-rich and caffeinated drink has been the subject of scientific controversy for years. Some studies have shown that green tea can protect against intestinal inflammation, combat antibiotic resistance, help fight rheumatoid arthritis, and even have benefits in the fight against cancer. Others claim that it has no cancer-fighting properties. But where scientists seem to agree is on the anti-obesity properties. In fact, many studies have shown that its compounds can help increase fat oxidation and even improve insulin sensitivity. Today, a meta-analysis, the results of which were published in the journal Physiotherapy Research on 5 May, shows that green tea can help you lose weight.

Green tea to treat obesity

Green Tea

“The effects of green tea on obese people have been investigated in various studies, but no agreement could be reached due to the diversity of the results. Dose, type of extract, and duration of use are the main factors contributing to the heterogeneity of results”. – note the scientists.

It was therefore decided to analyze 26 randomized controlled trials involving a total of 1,344 participants. These observations showed that the body mass index of the participants decreased significantly after more than 12 weeks of drinking tea at a dose of less than 800 mg per day. The researchers also found that the weight loss was even greater when the dose was less than 500 mg a day for 12 weeks. However, the analysis showed no significant changes in waist circumference (a measure of stomach fat) when supplemented with green tea.

“The results of this meta-analysis support the use of green tea to improve obesity rates”. We, therefore, suggest that the use of green tea can be combined with a balanced and healthy diet and regular exercise to treat obese patients,” the scientists say.

Obesity, a global health challenge

A person is considered to be obese if their BMI is over 30. The disease is the result of a combination of several nutritional, genetic, and environmental factors and now affects almost the entire planet, including many people in emerging markets.

According to the latest WHO data, by 2016 more than 1.9 billion adults worldwide were overweight (BMI over 25). Of these, over 650 million were obese. This condition can lead to numerous health complications such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, arthritic degenerative diseases, and cancer and as a result, overweight and obesity are now recognized worldwide as the fifth leading causes of death.

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Reference

Payab, M., Hasani-Ranjbar, S., Shahbal, N., Qorbani, M., Aletaha, A., Haghi-Aminjan, H., Soltani, A., Khatami, F., & Nikfar, S. (2019). Effect of the herbal medicines in obesity and metabolic syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Phytotherapy Research. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.6547