What is the benefit to taking green tea supplements as opposed to drinking good old tea as it was meant to be? First of all supplements usually pack up to three times as much of the antioxidant EGCG, polyphenols, and caffeine. Supplements are also convenient and can be cost effective at under 20 cents a serving. Green tea extract (GTE) also makes a great stack with other ingredients. Not that you can’t stack other supplements with a tall glass of green tea. GTE tells you exactly how much you are getting at 100 mg or 200 mg a serving, allowing for easier tracking.
Tea has grown from being traditionally served hot in tea cups, to cold beverages, and now as a capsule supplement. GTE is promoted as being more potent than the regular beverage with a long list of health boosting properties.
Studies have been showing more and more benefits to supplementing GTE. Key questions to ask include how much should you supplement and what benefits are you seeking?
With all that said, don’t throw out your green tea packets and opt only for green tea pills. I primarily drink tea because I enjoy the taste and thought that it is a healthy beverage. I take GTE out of convenience and knowing exactly how much I am putting in my body for the desired effect.
Research has shown that the correct GTE dosage for fat loss is 300 mg. At a dosage of 300 mg of GTE per day in combination with exercise has shown a 30 percent increase in fat oxidation. What is even more astounding is when a dose of 200 mg is added in combination with GTE a 50 percent increase in fat oxidation has been observed by researchers. Researchers have concluded that there may be a synergistic relationship between the fat burning antioxidant EGCG and caffeine. GTE and caffeine are a great fat burning stack.
Tea drinkers will often describe green tea as a calming beverage. This is partly due to the ritual of brewing and slowly sipping any tea. It is a relaxing process. However, green tea (camellia sinensis) contains an amino acid called L-theanine. L-theanine is a non protein forming amino acid which makes up the taste and sweetness of green tea.
L-theanine a natural stress reliever. L-theanine increases alpha wave brain activity. Increased alpha brain activity increases relaxation without causing drowsiness. Some benefits to increased alpha wave brain activity are thought to be increased self-healing, lack of stress, enhanced immune system, and enhanced perceptions. L-theanine’s properties make for a great stack with caffeine in reducing the jitters or crash commonly experienced with caffeine by itself.
