Green Tea- Fact or Myth

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Brwnsugar_80
Brwnsugar_80 Posts: 25 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Has anyone had any success with drinking green tea to speed up metabolism? I've been drinking green tea at least 4 times a day during the work week ( 5 days) for the past two weeks and have lost 2.5 pounds. I have also increased my cardio exercises which could have something to do with the loss as well, however I've experience more energy lately to work out longer. Thoughts?

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  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
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    Myth. A calorie deficit leads to weight loss.

    I drink it because I like it, not because of the claimed magical properties. (that are a myth)
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    Myth.

    Any contributions it makes will not be enough to make any difference. The only appreciable ways to speed up your metabolism are by eating more food and getting exercise.
  • forthehungergames
    forthehungergames Posts: 34
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    Drinking TOO much green tea and caffeine DOES harm your system so it's okay to lower that amount. Drink tea to enjoy it :)

    Studies show that green tea is GREAT with your immune system and overall is great for your health. But drinking too much can lead to problems like painful bloating.

    From what I've read on the metabolism part, the information varies A LOT. Mostly by how much it speeds up your metabolism. Either way, I wouldn't focus too much on that because the best ways to speed your metabolism are exercise!

    It's recommended that you drink it before a workout to help increase calorie burn and energy, but I think that mostly just is the caffeine. : )
  • Kayden1986
    Kayden1986 Posts: 189 Member
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    i think green tea makes a difference to antioxidant levels in the body, and can over time increase metabolism, but like a previous poster says that's only by a few percent, nothing major.

    The antioxidant properties are not a myth, the same as the properties of Acai.

    However,..... I stress not for weight loss.

    But ---- if your body works more efficiently, the faster your systems can process and work better. to put it as simple as humanly possible.
  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member
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    Green tea won't do anything for weight loss... except that you would possibly be drinking more water than normal. It won't speed metabolism to anything that is noticeable.

    I drink green tea because I enjoy it and I am transitioning myself off of coffee.

    The main way you can increase your metabolism is to build muscle mass and properly fuel your body.
  • Jestinia
    Jestinia Posts: 1,154 Member
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    I drink hot tea all day because it keeps me out of the fridge. Hot water would probably serve just as well.
  • Brwnsugar_80
    Brwnsugar_80 Posts: 25 Member
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    great tips everyone! I started drinking it to speed up my metabolism (based on what I read, this was the main benefit). I'm not always able to work out in the morning so my metabolism is real slow during the day. Of course, I work out after work and have started to eat clean (Rome wasn't built in a day but I'm a lot better than I was in the past!). Glad to have other's perspective on the topic. Guess I'll keep drinking so that I don't revert back to coffee!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    It's a fact-based myth. Started out as fact then got so blown out of proportion that most of what is touted is myth.
  • just_Jennie1
    just_Jennie1 Posts: 1,233
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    You have to drink something like 12 cups a day to get any sort of metabolic benefits.
  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
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    A cup of green tea will increase your metabolism by 1%. This effect tops out at 4 cups (meaning you can drink more, but your metabolism will only go up by 4%).

    So you're drinking four cups a day, your metabolism can be up by 4%, which, if you normally bur 2000 calories a day, is just an extra 80 calories burned. Not enough to make a difference in weight loss.

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