Westerners are always on the lookout for the latest weight-loss aid, something guaranteed to help them take weight off and look great. Oprah Winfrey did a lot to boost green tea sales when she talked about the Green Tea Diet and how she incorporates green tea into her diet.
The Value of Green Tea to Your Diet
Of course, it is no secret that green tea is a wealth of healthy antioxidants that work to do much more than satisfy the desire for something hot to drink. The antioxidant rich beverage has been researched extensively as a health benefit for people with cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, and myriad other conditions and illnesses.
Camellia sinensis is the family name for the type of tea leaves used as green tea. There are three teas that come from this plant – black, oolong and green tea. Black tea is oxidized and dried, oolong leaves are only partially oxidized before drying, and green tea leaves are usually steamed and then dried. All of these teas contain caffeine, which perhaps is one of the keys to its value as a weight loss aid. Regardless, green tea has been clinically tested and proven to increase weight reduction when people are dieting.
Would You Like Your Tea in a Cup or a Patch?
Now it is possible to get your hit of green tea through a patch. The idea was inspired by the nicotine patch that is used to help people stop smoking. A patch infused with green tea is applied to a clean, dry spot on the body (usually the lower back, stomach, or shoulder), and is effective for 24 to 48 hours. The idea is that the tea is slowly absorbed through the skin and into the body where it speeds up the metabolism and decreases appetite. Many people seem to like this idea because it is more convenient than taking a diet pill daily – especially when remembering to take a pill is challenging.
Does It Work?
The green tea diet patch is manufactured and sold by a number of different companies. Some companies include weight loss pills and drinks along with the patches. While it all sounds great, there isn’t much evidence to support the success of the green tea diet patch. Although it may not be harmful, it probably isn’t going to have the kind of effect people expect, either. It may just be another diet gimmick or fad.
Experts agree on the facts supporting green tea as a diet aid and recommend that instead of using a diet patch, simply include green tea in the diet and exercise plan. A regular regimen of exercise, even as little as 30 minutes three times a week, coupled with a healthy, low-fat, low-sugar diet and drinking three to five cups of green tea daily can provide excellent results in a relatively short period of time.