- Ketones occur as the result of your body burning fat for energy.
- Green tea only aids in the fat burning process and can be used to safely supplement your diet.
- Studies found that an extract of decaffeinated green tea helped to improve the ability of their test subject to burn fat during exercise.
- If you are sensitive to caffeine, green tea and green tea extracts are also available in decaffeinated forms
Scientists have discovered that green tea happens to be nature’s little miracle gift to us. It contains a slew of health benefits, including aiding in weight loss and providing an extensive level of cancer-fighting abilities.
Benefits aside, some may be concerned that by adding green tea to their diets, their body’s ketone levels will increase.
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What Are Ketones?
Ketones occur as the result of your body burning fat for energy which is referred to as the “ketosis process.”
In order to produce energy, ketone bodies — the acids produced when muscles burn fat for energy — are transported from the liver to other tissues throughout the body.
Your body gets energy from the ketone bodies when glucose is less available, like when you are eating a low-carbohydrate diet or exercising intensely.
Your body uses glucose for energy. If there is not enough glucose available for your body to use as fuel due to being on a low-carb diet, ketones are formed during the process when your muscles burn fat. Burning fat is not the only time that your body makes ketones. It also occurs when you are sick or if your stress level increases.
Diabetics need to be especially aware of their ketone levels because they are indicators of prolonged high blood sugar or insulin deficiencies. Glucose will begin to build up in the bloodstream without entering the cells if there is a lack of insulin.
When your cells burn fat instead of glucose, ketones form in the blood and are passed out of the body through your urine. This is one reason why doctors advise people to increase their daily intake of water, which will help to flush out the excess ketones.
Having a slightly higher ketone level is a positive result of your exercise and diet plan (unless you are a diabetic) because it is an indicator that you are burning fat.
Will Green Tea Raise My Ketone Levels?
A diet low in carbohydrates and high in protein can raise ketone levels in the blood. Since ketones are the end product of the breakdown of fatty acids, your level will rise once you begin your weight-loss program. Green tea only aids in the fat burning process and can be used to safely supplement your diet.
How Does Green Tea Help to Burn Fat?
The main ingredient in green tea, EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), works by preventing the breakdown of norepinephrine in the body. Norepinephrine is a neurohormone that has been shown to boost your metabolic rate and increase fat burning. Green tea extract has been seen to increase fat oxidation and to provide an increase of burning fat as a fuel.
Studies found that an extract of decaffeinated green tea helped to improve the ability of their test subject to burn fat during exercise. The participants were given three capsules each of decaffeinated green tea extract which contained the same amount of polyphenols (a type of antioxidant) and EGCG that would be found in approximately three cups of regularly brewed green tea.
The subjects who consumed the green tea extract one hour before their workouts were found to have burned twice the amount of fat after their workouts compared to those who did not ingest any green tea.
Is Green Tea Safe to Add to My Weight Loss Routine?
Consulting your family physician is always the best way to answer this question, but scientists have conducted many studies on the properties of green tea with positive results.
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Sign UpWhat Are the Pros of Green Tea?
Studies have shown that incorporating daily use of green tea into your lifestyle has a myriad of proven benefits. Green tea helps to protect against the growth of some cancer cells, and it contains a large amount of antioxidants which search for and destroy free radicals that cause damage to healthy cells.
Green tea can also help to improve glycemic control and could have the potential to reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes.
The best part about green tea is that it is a natural substance – not a chemical prepared in a laboratory. One tablet taken an hour before your workout is the recommended dose to ensure that you get the full fat-burning effect of the green tea extract supplement.
What Are the Cons of Green Tea?
Green tea and its extract are usually safe for most adults when consumed in moderate amounts. A few rare cases have been reported that involved liver complications of adults who ingested green tea extracts.
Green tea and its extract may contain caffeine which can cause some slight side effects such as insomnia, diarrhea, or the frequent need to urinate. It also contains vitamin K which can interfere with the effectiveness of anticoagulant drugs used in the prevention of clots forming in the bloodstream.
If you are sensitive to caffeine, green tea and green tea extracts are also available in decaffeinated forms. Like any other dietary supplement, you should always consult your family physician before adding any supplements to your diet especially if you have had any history of liver problems.
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