What Is Green Tea Extract Good For?

Green tea extract is derived from the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant, the common tea plant, before the leaves are allowed to ferment and blacken. The health benefits of the extracts have to do with unique antioxidants found in the leaves. Those antioxidants are commonly called catechins or tea catechins.

The leaves themselves, teas made from them and infusions prepared using distillation or alcohol have been used historically to treat disease. Camellia Sinensis is one of the plants commonly prescribed in Traditional Chinese Medicine for example.

Green tea extract is most commonly promoted as a supplement that supports heart health, but in clinical studies, the supplement has not always proven to be useful against heart disease risk factors. For example, some studies have shown that the supplement helps to lower cholesterol. Others do not show that benefit.

Much of the difference may have to do with the person's diet, which is not always controlled in these studies, and the person's level of physical activity. Physical activity raises good HDL cholesterol levels, which in turn lowers bad LDL cholesterol.

Another common use of the supplement is for weight loss. There is more evidence to support this benefit than any other. The latest research has shown that the extracts boost the resting metabolic rate by 4% without increasing the resting heart rate.

Basically, you burn more calories without doing anything extra.

Other studies have shown that the extracts stimulate the body to burn more fat. This benefit is referred to as thermogenesis.

The extract's use as a weight loss aid has only begun in recent years. Historically, green tea extract has been used to treat vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, upset stomach and kidney stones. It has also been used to prevent cavities and as a brain tonic to stimulate cognitive performance. That last benefit may be due to the caffeine content.

The caffeine content is lower than that of a similar amount of coffee but the content is still significant. A person who is caffeine sensitive should be careful to avoid taking a high dose. The caffeine could cause increased nervousness or anxiety, as well as heart palpitations. The best suggestion is to try a multi-nutritional supplement that contains a low to moderate dose of the extracts, rather than a single ingredient supplement, which could contain as much as 1000mg of caffeine.

It is the antioxidant activity of green tea extract that has been of most interest to scientists. Antioxidants of all kinds may help prevent cancers caused by free radical damage. There are laboratory studies indicating that the extracts may reduce the risk of colon, stomach, throat, prostate and breast cancer.

So far, no single antioxidant has proven to be that much better than any other when it comes to fighting, preventing or repairing free radical damage. That's why the best dietary supplements contain a wide range of antioxidants in moderate amounts.

Green tea extract is included in the best anti-aging supplements, because our bodies need all of the antioxidant support they can get.

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