Go Green to Get Lean

If we were putting together a Supplement Hall of Fame, there would be a few ingredients that would have to be inducted right away. Just off the top of my head … whey protein, caffeine, creatine and one of my all-time favorites, green-tea extract.

Most people know that green-tea extract provides a laundry list of health benefits, such as a reduced risk of certain cancers, diabetes and heart disease. It may also enhance brain function and lessen cognitive decline as we age, provide antibacterial and antiviral protection, aid muscle and joint recovery, and even boost fat loss.

When it comes to fat-burning, the main way green-tea extract works is by increasing the body's metabolic rate so that you burn more calories at rest. This property is mainly due to its main active polyphenol component EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate).

Well, now new research from Poland shows that green-tea extract has another trick up its sleeve to aid fat loss: blocking carbohydrate uptake by the body.

The Study
Researchers from Poznan University fed subjects a starchy meal of cornflakes with low-fat milk (about 50 grams of carbs, 7 grams of protein, 2 grams of fat and 250 calories) along with green-tea extract (providing about 250mg of EGCG) or a placebo. They reported in a 2015 issue of the journal Scientific Reports that when the subjects consumed green-tea extract with the corn flakes, they absorbed 30% less carbohydrates from the meal than when they had the same meal with a placebo. This appears to be due to the ability of EGCG to inhibit the enzymes alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase, which normally break down starch into smaller units that can be absorbed by the intestines. The starch that doesn't get broken down into smaller sugar units can't be absorbed by the body and literally gets flushed down the drain.

Jim's Take-Home Points:
By limiting the amount of starch from a meal that gets broken down into smaller sugar units, you’re absorbing and utilizing about 30% less starch than you’re actually eating. This can help to lower your carb intake and your overall daily calorie intake, which can further help with fat loss (along with the boost in metabolic rate and other fat-burning mechanisms by which green tea works). All of this makes green-tea extract a true get-lean juggernaut!

To take advantage of all these benefits, shoot for about 200mg-250mg of EGCG from green-tea extract taken right before or with meals. You can easily do this by taking one dose of my fat-burning product Shred JYM (which provides 250mg of EGCG) before meals. This will not only provide you the multiple fat-loss benefits of green tea, but also the fat-loss benefits of acetyl-L-carnitine, synephrine, caffeine, capsaicin and tyrosine. Now you know yet another reason why so many people are experiencing such great results with Shred JYM.

Reference:

 Lochocka, K. et al. Green tea extract decreases starch digestion and absorption from a test meal in humans: a randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study. Sci. Rep 5:12015, 2015.

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