Green Tea – Helps you to lose belly fat and much more

Losing belly fat is not simply a cosmetic issue. Abdominal fat - also known as central obesity - is associated with increased risk for heart disease, hypertension, insulin resistance, diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

Diet and exercise are the main weapons in the battle of losing abdominal fat, but an article in the January issue of the Journal of Nutrition gives us another option on how to shave a little more to the midsection area: drink tea.

Catechol is the antioxidant found in tea. Previous research has suggested that the catechol in tea could reduce body fat and weight. This study was a step further to look at the effect of weight loss in catechol-induced exercise.

All studies involved 132 participants in an exercise program of at least 180 minutes a week. Half of the group drank a tea drink with catechol. This group tended to lose more weight and decreased abdominal fat.

In statistical terms, the results were not significant. They rather showed a trend or a suggestion of the advantage. Kao Corp., a Japanese company whose product line includes some teas, funded the study.

However, another newspaper article demonstrated the association between green tea and reduced risk of breast cancer. Add this to previous studies showing that green tea reduces the risk of heart disease and the only question you could ask is: Why am I drinking this soda instead of green tea?

If you brush your teeth after drinking to avoid staining, there is no disadvantage of drinking tea. The price for a cup of tea brewed at home runs about 12 cents. This is an economic and healthy indulgence.