Green Tea Kills Fat Cells

The health benefits of green tea have been known for some time, and now scientific research is shedding light on how those benefits are achieved. Specifically, researchers are beginning to understand how green tea aids in weight loss.

It all has to do with a process called apoptosis or programmed cell death. By "programmed," we mean it happens on a regular schedule. Every living cell is designed to live for a certain amount of time and then commit suicide so a new cell can take its place. It's just nature's way of clearing out the old and bringing in the new.

So, how does the cell know when its time has come? It knows because the body sends it a DNA signal. This leads to another idea: If we can find a mechanism to send that signal whenever we like, we can increase the rate of apoptosis and make cells die at a faster rate.

If the cells being killed are fat cells, this could be a convenient way to get rid of an excess. Most people in the modern world have more fat cells in their bodies than they are ever likely to need. This is an inheritance from our primeval ancestors, who needed every fat cell they could get to survive the ice age and various other vicissitudes.

It now appears that certain foods may provide a control mechanism to do speed the death of fat cells. In particular, researchers have seen some very promising indications that green tea may increase this process.

A 2008 study undertaken at the University of Georgia, USA, has found that two chemicals are responsible for this increase in cell death. These chemical are called quercetin and resveratrol. The results indicated that these chemicals can prevent the birth of fat cells in the human body and stop the growth of already existing cells. The study's authors concluded that foods containing quercetin and resveratrol may be useful in controlling the life cycle of fat cells.

Green tea is one of the most abundant sources of resveratrol and quercetin, and is a convenient and pleasant way to get them.

Green tea can be consumed in large quantities without ill effects. It also contains chemical such as flavonoids which have been shown to have other beneficial properties, so drinking it daily is simply a good idea with no apparent bad effects. Granted, the caffeine can make some people jittery, but this can be solved by drinking the decaf kind. Bear in mind that caffeine is not involved in the process we're talking about, so removing it does not alter its fat-killing properties. Some people like to drink the caffeinated kind in the morning for a boost, then switch to decaf later in the evening so it will not keep them awake.