And drinking a glass of green tea after dinner is a simple, easy habit to follow.
Compounds in green tea, typically epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), activate metabolic pathways such as AMPK, promoting autophagy and lipolysis (fat breakdown) in white fat tissue.
These mechanisms increase energy burning and reduce new fat synthesis, especially affecting visceral fat tissue sensitive to metabolic changes.
Preclinical and clinical studies have shown a clear mechanistic link between catechin and reduced visceral fat accumulation.
Some randomized studies with contrast used catechin-rich drinks (high catechin content of 300-600 mg/day) for 8-12 weeks and recorded a significant reduction in visceral fat, waist circumference and body fat mass compared to the control group.
A classic study by Nagao and its colleagues (12-week trial) showed that the group that used green tea extract rich in catechin significantly reduced visceral fat compared to the control group. Subsequent analysis also corroborated this result.
Recent synthesis analysis and intervention research (for example, reports and analysis from 2010-2022) show that consuming green tea or catechin extract often reduces VAT (visceral adipose tissue) and improves body fat index, especially in people with overweight or initially high visceral fat.
The benefits are clearer when green tea is consumed regularly with healthy nutrition and exercise habits.
To take advantage of the benefits of caffeine without causing sleep disorders, consider:
Drink 1 cup of green tea (150-250 ml) about 30-60 minutes after dinner. This is the time when the body has begun to digest, tea can support metabolism without causing stomach discomfort.
For people with caffeine sensitivity, choose decafeinated green tea or use oolong tea or green tea with the remaining catechin content to still get biological benefits without affecting sleep.
catechin dosage has been shown to be effective in many studies, falling at about 300-600 mg of catechin/day; a cup of tea is not usually at this high level, but when used regularly with diet and exercise, it is still beneficial.
