You have heard me talk a lot about the benefits of green tea pertaining to weight loss. I have mentioned that the caffeine in tea helps stimulate the body’s metabolism and jump-start the weight-burning process. While caffeine plays a role in weight loss, the star player is not in the caffeine, but in the tea itself.

Green Decaf Tea contains EGCG, a super-charged antioxidant, the most abundant in it. EGCG is responsible for a majority of its weight-burning and fat oxidizing effects. It is commonly used in weight loss supplements for good reason! EGCG’s notoriety is excelling at a rate faster than most popular medicinal and herbal supplements on the market today. This popular beverage from East Asia is taking its firm place of authority in the world of health and weight loss. Green decaf teas offer such a great benefit by its content of EGCG.

Studies have been done on EGCG and green tea and found that EGCG initiates a process called thermogenesis, a heating of the body to burn weight. In fact, such a burning of calories was so significant that EGCG was attributed to weight loss, yet caffeine was not! That is why it is known for weight loss, and not caffeine-packed energy drinks.

Decaffeinated green tea contains about as much EGCG as traditional green tea and should be considered by those with caffeine sensitivity or those consuming it right before bed.

Tea and Caffeine

Most forms of tea naturally contain caffeine. Green caffeinated tea in particular contains, on average, 50 milligrams of caffeine per cup, which is about half as much as a cup of coffee. Because tea is not as strong as coffee, it is fairly common to consume a large amount of it. When one does that, they would in essence consume more caffeine than they would by drinking a strong coffee. This is where tea gets is negative stigma from, as people do not pace their tea consumption adequately enough. The actual caffeine content of green tea can range anywhere from 20mg to 80mg per cup depending on quite a few factors. For example, tea bags are generally known to contain more caffeine than loose leaf teas. Loose leaf teas are more natural and contain less caffeine, whereas bagged teas are lesser quality and would contain higher traces of caffeine.

If you are using tea for weight loss, the presence of caffeine might boost your metabolism and help you burn more calories. However, for those sensitive to caffeine, it is encouraging to note that decaf tea will allow you to receive the same benefit of green tea with no side effects. There are no negative reports linking consumption of decaf teas to any medically noted side effects. The only effects noted from increased decaf tea consumption are quite positive! Science is still exploring the breadth of these findings. For exercising and work-outs this is a tremendous benefit! Research has determined that the caffeine and EGCG in green tea will multiply the amount of calories you burn during exercise if you consume green tea prior to working out. Caffeine in tea provides only a fraction of the benefits naturally occurring in green tea through EGCG and the provisions of mother nature.

Michael Tennis owns and operates Green Tea Weight Loss [http://greenteaweightlosshub.com/], an informative resource guide committed to weight loss, health and well being using the green tea diet [http://greenteaweightlosshub.com/green-tea-diet/]. Michael currently offers a Free Weight Loss eBook for those interested in losing weight.