Green tea is different from regular black tea, in that it is not fermented. Therefore, green tea contains more nutrients, and even though it contains a little caffeine, it has a somewhat smaller but more stable effect on blood sugar levels.

Green tea can increase your fat combustion by up to 33 percent for a few hours after you eat

In a study where German scientists gave green tea extract to healthy but overweight men, the men were able to burn up to 33 percent more fat. The study is published in European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (April 2010) and supports earlier findings.

Green tea contains EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), a compound that stimulates fat turnover

Science does not know exactly how EGCG works, but researchers suggest three different mechanisms:

• It increases the energy turnover via the combustion of fatty acids
• It inhibits the development of fat cells
• It lowers the uptake of fat in cells and increases fat excretion

Other studies show less increase in blood sugar if you ingest green tea 10 minutes before you ingest glucose (grape sugar)

This mechanism is very important in relation to weight control, as large blood sugar oscillations (especially when your blood sugar plummets) can easily trigger hunger and an urge to consume fast, empty calories that have a fattening effect. Link: Carbohydrates are often the real culprits

Quality and supplements

Green tea is rich in different antioxidants, with EGCG being among the most potent.

Because the EGCG content can vary quite a lot from one type of green tea to another, it is normally recommended to consume tea extracts or supplements based on extracts, as this gives you more of a guarantee that the content of EGCG is high.

In order to obtain the optimal therapeutic effect, you should take your green tea with a main meal.