Abdominal fat and obesity are conditions that must be counteracted for the well-being of our body. Science is devoting many resources to understanding which natural compounds can help prevent or reduce overweight and pot belly. Well, a powerful ally seems to be green tea, as emerges from two very recent scientific studies published, in both cases, in the journal Molecules by two Japanese teams (Zang et al, Molecules, 2021 - Ohishi et al, Molecules, 2021) .
The danger of fat
Overweight and obesity are associated with various ailments such as sleep apnea, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cellular degeneration. That is why it is important to counteract these conditions, with diet and lifestyle. Even more important is to counteract visceral fat, which is the part of adipose tissue concentrated in the abdominal area. In fact, among all types of fat, abdominal fat is particularly dangerous since, in the long run, it can increase the levels of chronic inflammation, weaken the immune system and trigger cellular degeneration. Well, based on the research we are talking about today, it seems that green tea, thanks to the precious polyphenols contained in it such as epigallocatechin gallate, is able both to prevent overweight and visceral fat but also to counteract these conditions, if already present. But let's understand better.
Green tea helps prevent the accumulation of visceral fat
The first research studied, on an animal model, the possible preventive action of green tea against obesity. In this case, green tea extracts were administered for two weeks, in order to simulate what for humans is a regular daily intake. A high-fat diet was subsequently adopted. What emerged was that the intake of green tea, even if prior to a high-fat diet, was able to reduce the accumulation of visceral fat in animals of all ages. Not only that, green tea also made it possible to reduce the levels of circulating triglycerides, even in conditions of pre-existing obesity. Therefore, this study made shows that green tea can act by preventing obesity and the accumulation of visceral fat, regardless of age.
Green tea fights obesity and overweight, even if they are already present
The second study is a review that aims to analyze the therapeutic action of green tea to treat conditions of overweight and obesity that are already present. First, the study of the results of several experiments has shown that regular green tea drinkers show a reduction of about 20% in body fat and 2% in the waist-to-hip ratio compared to those who do not drink this type of tea. Then, in the case of already diagnosed obesity and metabolic syndrome, it emerged that drinking 4 cups of green tea a day for 2 months led to a reduction in body weight and body mass index. Not only that, even the circumference of the waist is reduced following the intake of at least 4 cups of green tea a day for a period of two months.
There is no magic wand, the importance of a healthy lifestyle
It is important to underline that it would be a mistake to interpret these researches considering green tea as a magic wand for reducing visceral fat and obesity. There is no food or drink that can act this way on its own. Rather, there is an active and healthy lifestyle and a varied and balanced diet that also includes green tea. So not one substance, but many beneficial habits and substances can make a difference to help us build our health now and in the future.
