At Stir Tea we are often asked about the health benefits of green tea.  Here are the results of research:

Green Tea and Weight Loss:

Preliminary research suggests that drinking green tea may have an effect on body weight and fat accumulation. Key findings in two studies include:

• A 1999 study found that green tea extract was found to significantly increase 24 hour energy expenditure and fat oxidation in healthy men. (ref 1)

• Another study in 2002 showed that after 3 months consumption of green tea extract by moderately obese patients, body weight decreased by 4.60% and waist circumference decreased by 4.48%. (ref 2).

Green Tea and Cancer:

• Shanghai Women’s Health Study

A study of 69,310 non smoking and non alcohol drinking women over an 11 year period found that those who drank 3 cups of green tea per day had a 21% reduced risk of digestive system cancers (compared to women who never drank tea).

For a full report on Tea and Human Health see the article on this section posted separately.

Can I drink too much green tea?

It is suggested that you need to be drinking around 5 cups of green tea per day to achieve weight loss results, complemented by sound nutrition and regular exercise.

We are very aware that other studies caution against the excessive use of green tea extract due to the possibility of increased toxicity in your body and the potential to interact with prescription drugs.  Extreme outcomes can be associated with extreme use – we recommend a common sense, balanced  approach to this and discussion with your doctor if you are under their care.

The recommended daily fluid intake for a healthy lifestyle is 8 cups of fluid – the great news is that each cup of antioxidant rich green tea counts toward this.

Contrary to rumour, green tea does contain caffeine.  If you increase your tea drinking then we suggest you are mindful of how this might affect your sleeping habits and consider not drinking in the few hours before bedtime.  If you have a caffeine intolerance of any kind then avoid tea and try our caffeine free herbal and fruit blends instead.

If you have tried green tea before and found it bitter then maybe your water was too hot.  Try brewing it with water that is just below the boil (bubbles just starting to break the surface of the water). Alternatively you may just not have found the right green tea yet. There is a significant difference between the processing and taste of Japanese green teas and Chinese green teas – taste the difference in our green tea variety packs, a great way to try six different flavours.

Green Tea Study References:

(1)    Dulloo AG, Duret C, Rohrer D, Girardier L, Mensi N, Fathi M, Chantre P, Vandermander J. Efficacy of a green tea extract rich in catechin Polyphenols and caffeine in increasing 24-h energy expenditure and fat oxidisation in humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 Dec;70(6):1040-5

(2)    Chantre P, Lairon D. Recent findings of green tea extract AR25 (Exolise) and its activity for the treatment of obesity. Phytomedicine 2002;9(1):3-8