Green Tea Extract Tricks Your Body In The Most Satisfying Way

The benefits of green tea extract are suspicious. After all, when something is too good to be true, we’ll look for any reason to disprove it. As an antioxidant and calorie-burner, this tea extract is up to anything but funny business.

Now, that’s not to say that herbal supplement brands don’t skirt the rules. Energy shots ft. green tea and bottled green teas are deceiving because of their added caffeine and sugar content, says Dr. Todorov, an integrative medicine specialist at the Cleveland Clinic.[1] If you’re looking to gain the rewards of green tea on its own, a cup of steeped herbs is the best option.

When dried, green tea can be isolated from its caffeinated form to make green tea extract.[2] The compounds in this revamped composition are useful for people who dislike the bitter taste of green tea and prefer to avoid the side effects of caffeine.

While we’re debunking myths, another important distinction to know is that this tea isn’t the same as matcha. Green tea extracts are sold as pills, powders, drops, and moisturizers, while matcha only comes in powder form. They’re both derived from the same plant (Camellia sinensis), but this extract is a more concentrated form of green tea, while matcha is the highest concentrated form.[3]

Differences aside, green tea is packed with phytonutrients like catechins, otherwise known as antioxidants. Catechins are the most abundant flavonoid found in green tea and other dietary products like apricots, strawberries, and blueberries.[4] Despite the high presence of catechins in pure forms of green tea, extracts are more stable due to their isolated antioxidative activity on the mind and body.[5]

Want to know how green tea extract tricks your body and empowers your health?

In this article, we’ll unpack the multiple benefits of green tea extract using information back by science. We’ll also include plant-based suggestions for leveling out your immune system. To reverse the effect of free radicals, green tea extract is one way you might be able to avoid illness. There’s a catch, however, that you’ll have to find out about at the end of the article (hint: it involves hemp).

What does green tea extract do?

Typical for most medicinal herbs, green tea has been used in China and Japan for centuries.[6] People generally associate weight loss with green tea, although calling it an herbal detox doesn’t tell the whole story.

Green tea extract helps manage weight gain

It happens through a process called thermogenesis, or the acceleration of metabolic function, explains GNC.[7] General confusion about how this process works has contributed to misinformation about the “fat-busting” quality of certain supplements, aka foods that literally “eat away” at body fat.

For the record, no one food guarantees you’ll lose weight. You can, however, slim down from a combination of lifestyle choices related to diet and exercise. The truth is that herbal supplements are like your body’s personal cheerleaders; their purpose is to rally behind you as you work towards accomplishing a goal.

So for people determined to shed weight quickly, caffeinated green tea and decaffeinated green tea extract (high in catechins) can help you achieve this goal by supporting your metabolism and immune system, i.e. increased blood flow, mental clarity, and better sleep. This can trick your body’s normal reaction to oxidative stress: muscle tightness, anxiety [8], and fatigue.

A friendly reminder for anyone new to the world of herbal supplements: you get the results you want based on the work you put in. Seems simple enough, right?

In several studies, overweight test subjects experienced an increase in fat oxidation with the use of green tea extract. Although many researchers argue that caffeine is responsible for the thermogenic effects of green tea, other findings explain how a combination of tea catechins and exercise can contribute to fat loss.[9]

Based on these findings, we can begin to anticipate future treatments for people at risk of developing diabetes and coronary heart disease.[10]

Green tea extract helps calm skin inflammation

In addition to its thermogenic effect, this extract has anti-inflammatory properties for people with skin conditions like acne [11]and dermatitis. The cosmetics industry loves to sell elixirs featuring green tea extract and qualify them as “anti-aging.”

The truth, however, is that you can’t skirt around the inevitable—you will age no matter what.

But herbal supplements may reduce signs of aging due to UV exposure. In mice and human studies, topical application and oral consumption of green tea extract reduced skin damage and the presence of dead cells from UV radiation.[12]

Just like our previous tip, you can ease the effect of free radicals by getting enough exercise, eating a nutrient-rich diet, protecting your skin, and supplementing with this extract. Remember, herbs are your body’s cheerleaders!

What is the best natural supplement?

As we’re in the business of prescribing plant medicine, we’ve got the answer, although it doesn’t have anything to do with finding “the best” product.

You see, applying qualifiers only leads to disappointment. Our expectations can fall short of reality, so when it comes to choosing herbal supplements, try to find products with ingredient labels you understand (minus the confusing chemistry) and published COAs, or certificates of analysis from third-party testers.

Plant medicine works best when you have a combination of medicinal herbs at your disposal. Instead of seeking “the best” supplement, go for the better option: products with green tea extract, adaptogenic herbs, and hemp.

Tonics featuring more than one plant have a stronger impact on your metabolism and immune system because of their synergistic effect.

Your mind and body are only as good as the plants you feed them. Becoming sovereign over your health takes time, but at least you’re on your way to doing it with plant medicine.