Is Green tea good for weight loss? Does green tea "burn fat?"

Believe it or not, more and more often you'll find green tea (or green tea extract) included in the compilations of many of the more popular weight loss supplements today, and why are supplement makers so hasty to include green tea in their weight loss products?

Well, the benefits of green tea are numerous. In fact, if you were to go to PubMed.com and do a search for green tea, you'd find over 2,000 studies performed on green tea and its components (eg, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), theanine, etc). Possible benefits are being investigated for weight loss, cancer prevention, antioxidant activity, cognitive enhancement, general good health and well being... and the list goes on and on.

But why is green tea included in most popular fat burners today?

Many reasons: First of all, green tea extract is a source of caffeine, and is often used as the caffeine component of many popular fat burners.

Caffeine, of course, is a decent fat burner with a well-established track record (see Am J Clin Nutr. 1989 Jan;49(1):44-50, Am J Clin Nutr. 1980 May;33(5):989-97).

That makes it a decent quality fat burner in and of itself. However...

If that's all green tea did, this would be a pretty short article. Luckily, it provides additional benefits, far and beyond what plain caffeine could do.

First, it's a powerful anti-oxidant. Yes... just like vitamin C and beta-carotene! But researchers have suggested that the active ingredient EGCG (called epigallocatechin gallate ), may be up to 200 times more powerful than vitamin E as an oxidant.

And there's more. Specifically for those of you who are looking to green tea for weight loss.

Green tea may be useful as a glucose regulator, meaning it slows the rise in blood sugar following a meal.

It does this by slowing the action of a particular digestive enzyme called amylase. This enzyme is pivotal in the breakdown of starches (carbs), that can cause blood sugar levels to soar following a meal (see Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Sep;84(3):551-5).

This is pretty exciting stuff. Along with chromium, and possibly a vanadyl supplement, green tea might be the missing link in proper glucose management.

Green tea has also helped aid weight loss by increasing the metabolic rate, causing those who use it to experience greater calorie burn (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1999 Dec;70(6):1040-5)

A recent study further validates green tea's effectiveness. Published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Am J Clin Nutr; 81:122-129), it indicated the ingestion of a tea rich in catechins (catechins are a major component of green tea extract) leads to both a lowering of body fat AND of cholesterol levels.

Additionally, green tea may inhibit fatty acid synthase (see Life Sci. 2004 Mar 26;74(19):2389-99, Int J Cancer. 2003 Oct 10;106(6):856-62 , Biotechnol Appl Biochem. 2006 Jan;43(Pt 1):1-7, Curr Med Chem. 2006;13(8):967-77).

 

Fatty acid synthase is an enzymatic system that is involved in the process of turning carbohydrates into fat.

Early animal studies suggest the inhibition of fatty acid synthase can lead to dramatic weight loss.

If that weren't enough, there's also evidence that consuming green tea high in catechins reduces cardiovascular risks in addition to reducing body fat (Obesity (Silver Spring). 2007 Jun;15(6):1473-83).

In short, green tea's weight loss benefits are a result of several mechanisms.

As discussed, these include an increased metabolism, a positive effect on blood sugar and insulin regulation, and possibly the inhibiting of certain enzymes which are required for the processing of carbohydrates and fats. It also has been shown to lower LDL levels (that's the "bad" cholesterol) as well as triglyceride levels.

(See Mol Nutr Food Res. 2006 Feb;50(2):176-87, Am J Clin Nutr; 81:122-129, Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity. 2000 Feb;24(2):252-8, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1999 Dec;70(6):1040-5 -- for additional proof of green tea's weight loss effectiveness).

The combination of caffeine with green tea -- found in many popular fat burners -- also seems to encourage weight loss (Obes Res. 2005 Jul;13(7):1195-204), and therefore is a smart addition to any fat burner compilation.

Despite what seems to be mounds of positive, clinical evidence, one thing needs to be emphasized...

Green tea may "work", but its effects are subtle at best. For instance, while one study (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1999 Dec;70(6):1040-5) indicates taking this supplement contributes to an elevated metabolism, the amount it is actually raised it (4%), is not a lot, and amounts to about 100 calories per day for the average person.

Obviously, if you have 20-30lbs. to lose, this isn't much of a help. Of course, green tea may help in other ways too. Personally, I found it helped eliminate cravings for sweets somewhat. If this helps you to avoid making detrimental snacking decisions throughout the day it helps your diet plan along—indirectly, in that you're consuming less calories.

Of course, none of this means you should not consider supplementing with green tea. With its potent antioxidant action and numerous documented benefits, you really can't go wrong drinking a couple of cups of this stuff a day. What you should be, however, is realistic about your expectations.

If you'd like to try green tea, you have three choices...

 

1) Drink a high quality green tea purchased from a reputable source

And I'm not talking the regular store-bought stuff. I'm talking the loose leaves, direct from the source.

This is a good way to get the benefits of green tea.

It is, for instance, highly unlikely that supplement manufacturers are using the highest grades teas (which are expensive) for use in their supplements. Plus, if you don't know where in China the stuff is sourced from, you run the risk of it being contaminated with all sorts of nasty chemicals.

It's a quite a difference to the store-bought stuff you may have tried. The teas come right from the most pristine tea fields in China. Shipping is surprisingly fast, and the product is of high quality (it comes loose, in packages -- you just need to buy a "tea diffuser" to use it. You can get these anywhere—even your local Wal-mart!).

Buying tea in this manner might seem expensive, but since you only need a tiny amount of tea to brew a cup, and since each tea can be diffused several times, it is actually pretty cost effective!

2) Buy capsules of green tea: Many popular brands now provide green tea in this format now. It's pretty cheap, and best of all, it's easy and convenient!

It's a pretty potent product, standardized for 50% EGCG.

If there's a downside to capsules, it's that you can't determine the source of the tea, the quality—or even if it’s likely to be contaminated. And, if you like drinking green tea, you miss out on that experience, too.

3) Your absolute best choice would be to try FIX energy tea.

FIX uses Japanese Ceremonial grade matcha tea. This is the tea they use in the Japanese Tea ceremony and what the Zen Buddhist monks drink to help them focus through their meditation. It is grown exclusively in Japan. They grow it in the shade so it produces way more phyto-nutrients. They then dry and grind the meat of the leaf to a super fine powder. So, unlike a weak infusion of the leaf, you actually ingest the whole leaf with all of the powerful antioxidants, phytonutrients, and stimulants.

A single serving of FIX energy tea is the equivalent of 137 cups of a regular loose leaf green tea. The stimulation you get can last up to six hours because the natural molecules are so much larger and complex than the much simpler caffeine molecules which are absorbed and metabolised very quickly.

FIX has been further enhanced and fortified with yerba mate, ginseng, eluthero and a whole host of super fruits from around the globe to create a great tasting, incredibly healthy, metabolism boosting power drink that gives you a quarter of your daily antioxidants in a single cup and leaves you feeling fantastic for hours!

In closing... it certainly appears that green tea is a darned good health-promoting supplement, and it shows some real promise for promoting weight loss as well. It's one of the few natural supplements that has some decent clinical proof validating its claims. It's well worth trying, especially if you've got a good diet and exercise program under way.

 

If you haven't enjoyed FIX tea yet click here & we'll happily arrange to send you a FREE sample while suplies last.

 

FIX is a true cross over product positioned in front of some HUGE markets & trends

Report on the rapidly expanding Health Drink Market . 

This is free marketing research on the health drinks industry and can include information on the background, market structure, definitions, competitors, trends and developments of health drinks and is related to other topics such as sports drinks, beverages, diets and exercise. Table of Contents Contents [hide] §                         1 Background §                         2 Market Structure §                         3 Industry Definitions §                         4 Market Metrics §                         5 Trends and Recent Developments §                         6 Sources §                         7 Related ResearchWikis Background Health drinks are a part of the functional food and drinks category which also includes such beverages as energy foods and drinks, sports drinks, health soft drinks, etc. The category of health drinks also includes such drinks as soy milk and other soy based drinks, fruit juices, targeted health drinks, such as calcium rich drinks for the bones, and any other new age drink with health benefit such as many herb and berries that are coming into the international markets from Asia and South America. Over a dozen health drinks promising weight loss, cell-damage-reducing antioxidants and natural energy have reached supermarket shelves in 2007, while many more still in the pipeline. While Americans drank over 19 billion gallons of beverages in 2005, other than tea and coffee, a large segment of these are for health-conscious consumers, with ingredients and additives such as natural sugars, chromium - tied to weight loss - Omega-3 fatty acids, calorie burning, enhanced water, juices designed to help with skincare, weight management and detoxification, or enhanced with anti-oxidants. Consumer food and drink choices are no longer driven by taste alone, but are clearly increasingly affected by awareness of nutrition and health factors with lifestyle aspirations becoming a more deciding factor now.   Market Structure The total sales of health foods and health drinks in 2006 were approximately $20 billion through distribution channels such as mass-market, television shopping channels, health/natural food stores, large discounter houses such as Wal-Mart, and warehouse “big-box” clubs. With more functional foods and beverages available in the market combined with medically beneficial ingredients, health and wellness are now included in top criteria driving consumer food choices. The health drinks market is growing rapidly but is still a small industry in the U.S. This is generally grouped with the category of beverages or the sub category of sports drinks or energy drinks. The pure health drinks market is currently just a fraction of those categories by most industry definitions.   Industry Definitions § Functional foods Functional foods and beverages are products that make a distinct, written health claim; may be enhanced in some way with added ingredients like calcium to have beneficial effects. They produce a specific health benefit and may bear FDA approved claims.   § Superfoods Name given to everyday fruits, vegetables, fish and fowl that are seen as enhancing health and long life. These may include nutrient-rich blueberries, beans, tomatoes, pumpkins, oranges, oats and wild salmon; pomegranates, cinnamon, onions, dates and red peppers; foods containing antioxidants etc.   § Energy drinks Beverages designed to give you a burst of energy using a combination of methylxanthines, usually some form of caffeine, B vitamins, and herbs. Some may contain high levels of sugar.   § Sports drinks Designed to replace the body-electrolytes, while you sweat, at sports or exercise. They contain water, with some form of sugar, minerals such as potassium and sodium, and flavors. They provide an instant source of carbohydrates: Sugars and other energy compounds that help to feed the muscles and can delay fatigue.   Market Metrics In 2005 global sales of “healthy” drinks, including bottled water, fruit juices, and sports and energy drinks may have been as high as $138 billion, which would represent 45% of the entire soft-drinks market. Growth rates in specific categories of this industry may be seven times higher than those for carbonated drinks for example. And the sector continues to gain market share as consumers move away from alternative soft drinks towards health drinks. The actual category of health drinks, however, is not likely to be more than a $100 million industry in the U.S. But it may also be the fastest growing. Essentially these beverages are also known as “nutraceuticals”, as they are targeted to provide nutrition to the body. Many of these products are derivatives of tea or herbal drinks. Sales of health drinks may have been only about $20 million annually 10 years ago and are now up five fold. Health drinks claim to provide New Age type healing remedies and often include specific minerals, vitamin compounds, herbs or other supplements. The major players in the field include large multinational companies such as Coca-Cola Enterprises and PepsiCo, while the rest of the market is fragmented, with a number of niche players. In addition, leading drugs companies like GlaxoSmithKline PLC, with their Lucozade and Ribena brands, are also part of the health drink market. There is a blurring of lines continuing in the industry. The market for bottled water could be $100 billion per year, eclipsing the health drink market. Yet, Glaceau in Europe has been successfully marketing Vitaminwater and Smartwater. Are these health drinks? They claim to provide select vitamin ingredients in the drink. It may need to be resolved, as Coca Cola agreed in 2007 to pay US $4 billion for Glaceau including its Vitaminwater brand. Significant global markets other than the U.S. for health drinks include Japan and other Asian countries. General Metrics Top ten functional drinks categories as share of global soft drink launches in 2004-2006 Share of Launches                      2004        2006   Energy                                  22.4%      24.3% Cognitive Health                        9.4 %       8.3% Digestive Health and Anti Allergy     7.1%         7.2% Anti Ageing                             3.0%        3.6% Joint and Bone Health                   4.0%        3.1% Diabetes Control                        3.5%        3.1% Blood Pressure Control                  3.0%        2.2% Cholesterol Control                     1.6%        2.2% Immune System Health                     --         1.3% Weight Control                          1.0%        1.0%   Trends and Recent Developments Further market penetration and increasing frequency of product usage among the general population will boost product sales. Young adults may be a key market segment for future growth. Prospects for the healthy drink market may be strong but there are issues that will need better clarification. Manufacturers are careful not to be overly explicit with claims for precisely what health benefits are to be derived from the drinks. To make specific claims would likely bring a closer scrutiny from the FDA or other governmental agencies and may lead to labeling challenges etc. At the moment though, the population is continuing its trend toward an older age ratio, especially in Japan and Western Europe. As this segment of the world's population increases, so should the demand for health-based solutions with drinks and other functional products with specific health benefits. The market may be poised for real growth. Another industry estimate defines the entire wellness and health drinks market as a US $41 billion business in 1999 and having grown to US $55 billion in 2005.   Sources Time Magazine Beverage Daily Consumer Lab Related ResearchWikis Energy Drinks North America Marketing Research Energy Drinks Report 2008 Sports Drinks Marketing Research Energy Drinks Marketing Research Category: Markets

If you haven't enjoyed our FIX tea yet click here & I'll happily send you a FREE sample

 

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Market Report on the $10 billion Energy Drink Market

This is free marketing research on the energy drinks market and can include information on the background, market structure, definitions, competitors, industry players, trends and developments of energy drinks and is related to other topics such as sports drinks, beverages and bottled water.

Table of Contents

Contents [hide] §                         1 Background §                         2 Market Structure §                         3 Industry Definitions §                         4 Market Metrics §                         5 Industry Players §                         6 Trends and Recent Developments §                         7 Sources §                         8 Related ResearchWikis

Background

Energy drinks are non-alcoholic beverages which are intended to provide a quick burst of high energy to the consumer. These may be prepared with a composition of methylxanthines, caffeine, natural flavors, some herbal components or specific vitamins including Vitamins B. They may also contain taurine, guarana, maltodextrin, ginseng, carnitine, inositol, glucuronolactone, creatine and ginkgobiloba. Most products include artificial sugar. The primary active component is generally caffeine.

Japan and Thailand have a longer history of energy drinks and the use of caffeine has been a key ingredient in those countries. Energy drinks acting as an alternative to coffee were first introduced in Europe. The market received a significant boost when Red Bull entered the US market in 1997. After this successful market introduction, various beverage companies including Coca-Cola and Pepsi entered the market. Austria-based Red Bull remains the market leader though with an approximate market share of 65%. According to Beverage Marketing, the growth rate of this industry had been doubling every since the late 90s. The current U.S. domestic market may be approximately $4 billion, expected to grow to an estimated US $10 billion by 2010.

Recent years have witnessed the emergence of several new energy drinks. They include KMX of Coca-Cola, 180 of Anheuser-Busch, Hansen's Energy, and Adrenaline Rush of PepsiCo's SoBe. Pepsi had earlier introduced AMP under the Mountain Dew brand and also Extreme Energy by Arizona Beverage Company was launched. Growth of the current worldwide market for energy drinks is estimated at 17.8%. Major producers are focusing heavily on marketing, targeting the promotion of energizing conception, result-oriented marketing and product positioning and a greater push into developing markets.

 

Market Structure

The primary consumers of this industry are under 35 years of age and are predominantly male. Teenager and college students are core target market segments for the manufacturers and consist of the core age group of 12 to 30. A recent survey estimates that around 35% percent of energy drink consumers are above 35 years old. Furthermore energy drinks with high sugar levels are more popular among children and women, while energy drinks with strong taste and flavor are more preferred by male consumers. Recent studies also indicated that 65% of the energy drinks market consists of male consumers.

There are several types of energy drinks products. Different varieties of tea and coffee along with green tea forms one group. Second are traditional energy drinks such as Red Bull and others. In emerging market, however, several producers have introduced new products. Combining energy drinks with alcohol has resulted in new products including “Hair of the Dog”. Mixing energy drinks with smart drinks has also created new brand names such as NOS.

 

Industry Definitions

§ Added sugars - sugars and syrups to be added to foodstuffs in the process of preparation. The composition of this added sugar is artificial, not naturally produced.

§ Antioxidants - chemical composites which defend the body from cell loss by retaining oxidation

§ Certified organic - certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that the firm’s goods meet distinct organic standards.

Market Metrics

Energy drinks were launched in the U.S. in 1997 with Red Bull which has the largest market share. By 2001, the energy drink market had developed to almost $400 million per fiscal year accounting the retail sales. The current market valuation in 2005 is approximately $4 billion. Japan pioneered the energy drink phenomenon. The emergence of the energy drinks market dates back to the early 1960s, with the launching of Lipovitan. In 1929, Lucozade of UK was launched.

 

The major market regions of the energy drinks industry, according to a 2004 survey, are:

Geography               Market Share (%)

Asia Pacific                  58.1%

North America                 14.7%

The market share of the Asia Pacific region is anticipated to steadily decrease due to the rise in other emerging markets. The US is anticipated to become the largest consumer market by 2009.

Caffeine Levels in Energy Drinks

 

A recent chart on growth:

Industry Players

Red Bull is the industry leader. There are constantly new energy drinks manufacturers unveil such as yerba maté, green tea and ginkgo biloba. And also they are utilizing other revitalizing elements such as schizandra.

The top energy drinks players are as follows based on December 2006:

Breakdown of Top 15 Energy Drinks

    Drinks         Share of Energy Drink Market

                      (based on dollar sales)

Red Bull                       42.6

Monster                        14.4

Rockstar                       11.4

Full Throttle                   6.9

Sobe No Fear                    5.4

Amp                             3.6

Sobe Adrenaline Rush            2.9

Tab Energy                      2.3

Monster XXL                     0.9

Private Label                   0.9

Rip It                          0.8

Sobe Lean                       0.7

BooKoo                          0.5

Sobe Superman                   0.4

Von Dutch                       0.4

Trends and Recent Developments

Hangover cure energy drinks are now emerging such as "Hair of the Dog". One of the latest trends of the energy drink industry is the launch of “smart” energy drinks. SmartPower and NOS brands are new products in this market line.

Sources

Bevnet

Zenith

BMC

Wikipedia

US Census Bureau

Related ResearchWikis

Energy Drinks North America Marketing Research

Energy Drinks Report 2008

Sports Drinks Marketing Research

Health Drinks Marketing Research

Category: Markets

 

 

If you haven't enjoyed our FIX tea yet click here & I'll happily send you a FREE sample

 

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Natureline Thanksgiving message and more

HAPPY THANKSGIVING Best wishes to our United States distributors and their families. Thank you to all of our members for being part of the growing Natureline family!   Thanksgiving and "Black Friday" BOGO special below!   Thanksgiving & "Black Friday" Special   "Buy One Get One" on all Natureline products + We'll cover the shipping on orders over $99!   Simply, we'll double all your purchases at the time of shipping!   Offer valid in Canada and the United States until midnight PST tomorrow (November 26, 2010). Simply place your order and we'll double the items when shipped. We will void the shipping charge on orders over $99 (total before taxes & shipping). Autoship orders not included in special.   You can place your order online by logging in here or call us at 1-877-824-8766.   Tax deductible webinar on Saturday   Join us for a FIX webinar this Saturday at 10am PST with host Mark Wright. Register here... Discover the benefits of the amazing new Natureline product brand, FIX.    Mark will also show you the link between FIX and the government and why the government wants to pay you for sharing FIX!   ...Don't believe it?  Tune in for details.   1-877-824-8766 naturelinesolutions.com

 

Hey guys here's an event that does the work for you

 

Join Mark Wright tomorrow for a special Natureline Opportunity webinar. Click here to register and receive your webinar login details (Register)   Mark will cover "all things Natureline" and show you and your guests the amazing product line which can take you from "9 to 5" to "anything you want".   This is the ideal venue for your prospects to find out more about Natureline Solutions from their comfort of their home.   Tune in and invite your team and guests Mark.   Forward this link, with your invitation, to your guests: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/248321414         Date:        Saturday, November 20, 2010               Time:        10:00 AM - 11:00 AM PDT  /  1:00 PM - 2:00 PM EDT After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar... (REGISTER HERE)   Website: www.naturelinesolutions.com Email: admin@naturelinesolutions.com Local: 604-244-8999  Toll-free: 1-877-824-8766

 

 

Matcha vs. Coffee

The fundamental difference between matcha and coffee is the nutrients naturally found in both beverages. Coffee contains a strong stimulant called caffeine and very little else. Matcha on the other hand contains theophylline and theanines, as well as a host of minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants.

Theophylline, a stimulant only found in teas, functions very differently than caffeine. Caffeine is a very fast acting stimulant that immediately finds its way into the blood stream. The effects are felt within a matter of minutes, peaking around the 30 to 45 minute mark. The peak is often associated with shakes, jitters, sweats and general nervousness, a negative side effect of excessive caffeine consumption. The caffeine peak is then followed by a caffeine drop, or the lethargic, weakened feeling often experienced by coffee drinkers.

Theophylline on the other hand functions very differently within the body. Matcha contains an abundance of nutrients that slow the absorption of theophylline into the blood stream, leveling out the peak and allowing for a slow release of energy over a period of 3 to 6 hours. Unlike coffee, matcha delivers a soft landing, allowing many to drink matcha even at night and still get a good night's rest.

The amino acids or theanines in matcha also help to keep the mind relaxed and focused throughout the day, making matcha a far more practical and functional beverage than coffee to consume while working. Matcha is also ph neutral while coffee is highly acidic, which can lead to indigestion and other digestive illnesses.

 

 

                                                          
Cheers,

Mark Wright
Chief Operating Officer

1.604.219.3610

      

If you haven't enjoyed our FIX tea yet click here & I'll happily send you a FREE sample

 

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Why do we have Alfalfa in our FIX Tea

Medical uses

Alfalfa has been used as an herbal medicine for over 1,500 years. Alfalfa is high in protein, calcium, plus other minerals, vitamins in the B group, vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin K.

Traditional uses

In early Chinese medicines, physicians used young alfalfa leaves to treat disorders related to the digestive tract and the kidneys. In Ayurvedic medicine, physicians used the leaves for treating poor digestion. They made a cooling poultice from the seeds for boils. At the time, alfalfa was also believed to be helpful towards people suffering from arthritis and water retention.

Matcha, the tea we use in FIX Energy, can really help you focus. Try it free today click here http://ow.ly/3bxVf

Much has been written about matcha's ability to help provide sustained focus and lucidness. The Buddhist monks were the first to harness this power. Buddhist monks often meditate for 3 to 6 hours at a time. The mild stimulation from the theophylline found in matcha kept them awake and alert for the duration of their meditations while the theanines allowed the monks to relax, focus and concentrate on their training.

The amino acids called theanines found in matcha are found virtually exclusively in green tea. Growing research suggests that the consumption of theanines may help to produce more alpha waves in the brain: the same brain waves that are created when you have a massage or relax in a hot bath. Theanines trigger the brain to feel more relaxed and to reduce stress.