In our blend we use green tea extract; this is simply condensed green tea leaves in a supplement form. 400mg of green tea extract (contained within one serving of Diet Whey) is the equivalent of around 5 cups of green tea, which is often recommended as the best amount to consume to truly enjoy its benefits.
More to the point, however, what are the benefits of green tea? Let’s take a look:
1. Bioactive Compounds
Green tea is about 30 percent polyphenols and includes a large amounts of a catechin called EGCG. Catechins are natural antioxidants that help prevent cell damage and provide other benefits. (1)
These substances can reduce the formation of free radicals in the body, protecting cells and molecules from damage. These free radicals are known to play a role in aging and all sorts of diseases.
This catechin (EGCG) (Epigallocatechin Gallate) is one of the most powerful compounds in green tea. It has been studied to treat various diseases and may be one of the main reasons green tea has such powerful medicinal properties. (2)
2. Brain Function
Firstly, Green Tea contains caffeine which has been consistently shown to improve brain function via your mood, vigilance, reaction time and memory. (3)
Green tea contains less caffeine than coffee but it has its own special ingredient: L-Theanine. This amino acid works wonders for your brain by increasing dopamine, the production of alpha-waves and even helps with anxiety through its increase in the activity of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA (4) (5) (6)
The L-theanine and Caffeine then synergise which makes it particularly effective at improving brain function. (7)
You will probably notice a ‘cleaner’ buzz from green tea in comparison to coffee due to its smaller dose of caffeine and the L-Theanine combination. For most people, they find that it’s a stable and more productive energy.
3. Burning Fat
We discussed the fat burning properties of Green Tea in our previous article here.
There are many tests and trials that show increases in the metabolic rate after consuming green tea and this is vitally important for us to burn fat. (8)
In some studies, it was noted that Green Tea actually increased fat oxidation by 17% showing that green tea may directly target fat when consumed. (9)
Despite this, there are some mixed results around Green tea and our metabolic rate so it does tend to vary depending on the person. Regardless, its endless list of benefits is still worth pursuing.
4. Antioxidants
Green tea is rich in antioxidants, which can have various benefits. One of the key benefits is its effect on certain types of cancer.
Since it is oxidative damage that contributes to cancer development, the antioxidants that are packed into green tea may have protective benefits for your heatlh. (10)
For example:
Breast cancer: A meta-analysis of observational studies found that women who drank the most green tea had a 20-30% lower risk of developing breast cancer, the most common cancer in women. (11)
Prostate cancer: One study found that men drinking green tea had a 48% lower risk of developing prostate cancer, which is the most common cancer in men. (12)
Colorectal cancer: An analysis of 29 studies showed that those drinking green tea were up to 42% less likely to develop colorectal cancer. (13)
These studies amongst many others do show that people who drink green tea are less likely to develop certain types of cancer but as always, more research is needed to confirm this. (14)
5. It may help you live longer…
If you’re drinking green tea often enough (or at least consuming a Diet Whey shake each day!) you have already taken action in reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. This in itself will help you to live a longer and fuller life but there have also been studies to support this theory.
40,530 Japanese adults were studied to see what the effects would be and those who drank the most green tea (5 or more cups per day) were significantly less likely to die during an 11 year period. (15)
Here’s the breakdown:
Death of all causes: 23% lower in women, 12% lower in men.
Death from heart disease: 31% lower in women, 22% lower in men.
Death from stroke: 42% lower in women, 35% lower in men.
There was also a further study in 14,001 elderly Japanese individuals found that those who drank the most green tea were 76% less likely to die during the 6 year study period (16)
Now obviously there are many variables at work here but we’d rather be on the side that are drinking green tea!
So what have we learnt? Essentially we can't go wrong with consuming more Green Tea each day. It has many benefits due to its antioxidant properties, bioactive compounds and amino acids and this is why we included it in our Diet Whey blend. With 400mg per serving, you can rest assured that you’re getting enough green tea to reap the rewards.