The Whole Truth About Green Tea Weight Loss Pills

The countless health benefits of green tea has been well documented for many years, and green tea weight loss pills have now appeared on the market claiming to not only give you more energy and help you lose weight but also to lower your bad cholesterol levels and help you fight heart and cardiovascular diseases, and even cancer.

In fact, did you know that most weight loss and diet pills contain green tea extract as a primary ingredient? The chances are that if you pick one up off a shelf you'll find, along with caffeine and other "thermogenic" ingredients, green tea extract as one of the ingredients. However, are green tea weight loss pills all they're made out to be, or just more hype?

One of the ingredients in green tea weight loss pills is a compound known as Epigallocatechin gallate, also referred to as EGCG. This has been shown to have anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-viral properties and is over 200 times more potent than vitamin E in fighting free radicals and pro-oxidants.

Studies have also shown that the EGCG in green tea weight loss pills can affect body fat accumulation and cholesterol levels positively. The results indicate that green tea weight loss pills can speed up your metabolism and helps burn calories as well as lowering your bad cholesterol levels, and has an effect on your level of body fat. An earlier study supported this by concluding that "green tea has thermogenic properties and promotes fat oxidation beyond that explained by its caffeine content per se".

A key benefit of green tea weight loss pills is that they help thermogenesis, which is the burning of calories, without causing jitters and other unwanted side effects. Supplements that contain Ephedra, on the other hand, are also as effective, if not more effective at speeding up the metabolism, but can have very dangerous side effects. Ephedra has been linked to strokes, heart attacks and even death in some users.

While green tea weight loss pills do contain caffeine, it doesn't have the same effect. Theanine, which is the main amino acid in green tea weight loss pills, seems to minimize the effects of caffeine, which is why the caffeine in green tea doesn't seem to cause jitters and an increased heart rate the way that caffeine in other beverages can.

Although some claim that the effect of green tea weight loss pills on reducing body fat is minimal, a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that green tea doubled the fat loss in subjects and concluded that green tea is an effective method for shedding fat, particularly in the mid-section. Recent studies have also shown strong evidence for the role of green tea weight loss pills in lowering body fat.

Green tea weight loss pills come in standardized tablets or capsules. For best results, choose a green tea weight loss pill that contains 300 to 500 milligrams of green tea extract, which will also include caffeine. It is usually taken two or three times a day before meals.

While the green tea weight loss pill is not a magic bullet it is something I recommend strongly for its many health benefits. However, if you want to lose some serious pounds, relying on a single supplement such as green tea weight loss pills will never be enough. Rather, your focus should be on polishing up your diet and exercising regularly in order to boost your metabolism and burn the fat.

1. Prev:How To Lose 20 Pounds Quick!
2. Next:You Want A Great Body,  But How Bad Do You Want It?