
It is nearing holiday season and I have received more than a few emails and phone calls requesting teas which may be supportive to those who are trying to eat right and slim down this season. Well folks, you have come to the right place. Personally, I have found that the more tea I drink, the less I eat. When my mouth and tummy have warm yummy goodness, I am less likely to graze for snacks. And the aromas of the artisanal teas I have at my disposal are so inviting, I feel satisfied with every sip! For example…I love carrot cake, but I can’t eat it every day without penalty – so instead, I can brew up our black tea blend “Carrot Cake” which contains black tea, carrots, cloves, cinnamon, vanilla and calendula, instead!
But what does science say about tea and health? Let’s start with the ever popular green tea, mentioned in popular magazines, televisions shows and by licensed medical professionals across this country….
Scientific research has resoundingly demonstrated in many published studies that green tea can be a supportive of maintaing a healthy weight.
How does green tea promote weight loss? The catechins in green tea influence metabolism in several ways:
* Inhibiting intestinal lipases
*Decreasing fat absorption
*Increasing fat excretion
*Increasing uncoupling proteins
*Increasing thermogenesis
*Decreasing lipogenic enzymes
*Suppressing appetite
One study supplemented a group of female laboratory mice with green tea (from 1% to 4% of their diets) for four months to determine which effects it may have on food intake and weight. At the end of the study researchers found that mice with tea supplemented diets showed significantly decreased food intake, decreased weight gain, and decreased fat mass. Levels of cholesterol and triglycerides were also lower. In addition, serum leptin levels were also shown to be lower.
Another study supplemented green tea catechin EGCG (50-100mg/kg) in pure form and found that it reduced or prevented an increase in body weight in lean and in obese laboratory rats.
In humans, intake of green tea was found to increase thermogenesis. The thermogenic effect was found to be greater than that due to the amount of caffeine found in the tea.
A study in 10 subjects found that compared to placebo, green tea extract resulted in a significant (4%) increase in energy expenditure. In addition, the excretion of norepinephrine was higher during treatment with the green tea extract than with a placebo. This supports the finding that there was an increase in thermogenesis due to increased norepinephrine levels in the body.
Many folks new to tea find green tea to be an unfamiliar taste, and store blends are often bitter, cheap and low quality. In contrast, We encourage you to try our Tea Design green tea blends, brought to you by The Giving Teas Project.
The Giving Teas Project’s Favorite Green Tea Blends available for purchase:
Green Passion: gunpowder green tea, mango bits, papaya bits, sunflowers and essence
Moroccan Mint: green tea and spearmint
Keylime Cheesecake: green tea, lime peels, lemongrass, pineapple, apple and essence
Pink Lemonade: green tea, lemon peels, hibiscus, peonies and essence
Green Chai: green tea blended with almonds, cloves, cinnamon and roses
Mojito: sencha, spearmint, rock sugar and limes
Goji Pom Pom: sencha, goji berries, cornflowers and essence
To see our full tea menu and ordering instructions, see the tabs at the top of this website! We’d love to help!