SubscribeBelieve It or Not a Compound That Targets Your Belly Fat
The most common area in the body that almost everyone wants to improve is their stomach. This is why the cover of most fitness magazines have headlines in bold that read something like, “Lose Belly Fat in 10 Days” or “How to Get Sexy Abs like so and so”.
Yes, we’re a culture obsessed with abs. Ironically, abs are the first feature on your body to accumulate fat and usually one of the last places to burn off. Which is why we’re always on the lookout for the latest information that can make our lives just a little easier, when it comes to achieving those flat sexy abs garnered by the “heavily air brushed” celebrities on the front cover of magazines. Well then, you’re in for a nice surprise!
A recent study done on this popular compound found that people that took it lost belly fat, compared to people that didn’t take it….and it was specifically belly fat that was affected. Imagine that, it’s usually the other way around…you lose everything but the belly! It’s nice to know that there’s a compound out there that’s feelin‘ your frustrations! Find out what compound I’m talking about and how you can use it to help you burn off your stubborn belly flab!
The compound that I’m talking about is catechins. Catechins are antioxidant compounds found in green teas, known to have beneficial effects against serious diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease and cancer. And now a recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition, indicates that drinking green tea with 625mg/d of catechin helps reduce belly fat when combined with exercise. Yes, you do have to exercise! But exercising is necessary anyway to help you lose weight, burn fat and also keep you healthy and disease free. So just think of it as an added bonus….you get to lose your belly along the way! Here’s a more detailed look at the study:
Researchers recruited just over 100 adults between the ages of 21 and 65. The participants were all healthy and “normally sedentary”, with a mean BMI of 32kg/m². Most subjects were of non-Hispanic white ethnicity.
Male participants, who made up about half of the total study group, had a waist circumference of over 90cm, while women had a waist circumference of over 87cm. Cholesterol levels were over 5.2mmol/L.
The subjects were randomly assigned to receive either 500ml per day of a beverage providing 625mg catechins, or a control beverage containing added caffeine to match the caffeine content of the catechin beverage.
Both the active and the control beverage contained water, sodium chloride, artificial citrus flavouring, glucose, erythritol, and sucralose. Each 500ml serving provided 63kj (15 Kcal) of energy. Participants agreed not to consume more than two caffeinated beverages per day, including the study product, during the 12-week study period.
Participants consumed one serving of their assigned beverage per day, at any time of the day, and with or without food. They continued their usual energy intake, and three-day diet records were taken at baseline, six and 12 weeks.
During the study period, the subjects committed to 180 minutes of “moderate-intensity” physical activity per week, and to attend at lease three supervised exercise sessions per week.
So from the beginning, the study eliminated the caffeine factor. This is good, since many people associate caffeine with boosting their metabolism to lose weight…which BTW is not the case.
I found it odd that they provided these people with green tea artificially sweetened with 3 different sweeteners, knowing how bad artificial sweetener is for (their) our health. Here’s a list of sweeteners that was included in their drink:
- glucose - simplest form of sugar
- erythritol - naturally derived sugar substitute with no calories, also known as sugar alcohol
- sucralose - an artificial sweetener also known as splenda which has been linked to all sorts of serious health problems like cancers, kidney failure and nerve damage
That’s some super sweet and unhealthy green tea! But if that’s any indication of their normal diet, it makes the effects of catechins even more impressive.
Lastly, these people exercised 180 minutes a week at “moderate intensity”. That’s 30 minutes a day 6 days week and keep in mind that these people are normally sedentary…which makes you wonder what’s considered moderately intense. Now, if you’re normally sedentary and you start exercising at any any level of intensity, you will lose weight assuming all other factors are kept consistent, like diet etc. But the interesting part about the study is as follows:
At the end of the study period, people in the catechin group were found to have lost more body weight compared to the control group (P = 0.079).
There were no significant differences between the two groups in changes in waist circumference or fat mass. However, both total abdominal fat area (P = 0.013) and abdominal subcutaneous fat area (P = 0.019) had decreased more in the catechin group.
So, the only part that they actually lost fat was in their belly region. Considering all of the factors, the result is actually quite impressive.
Let’s think about it…these people are overweight with “normal sedentary” lifestyles. Which by the way, is like saying healthy people have “abnormal active” lifestyles….go figure.
The people in the study did not change their diets, which meant that they probably kept eating the kinds of unhealthy foods that got them overweight in the first place.
Outside of drinking the artificially sweetened green tea with 650 mg/d of the active ingredient “catechins”, the only addition to their life was adding in 180 minutes of moderate exercising a week.
And let’s keep in mind, the subjective nature of the term “intensity”, where “moderate” can be interpreted quite differently to a sedentary individual as supposed to a normally active individual.
So all things considered, the fact that people participating in the study who drank the (not so healthy) green tea actually shrank in their belly region, is definitely notable.
Heck, since the active ingredient “catechins” has so many other health benefits we as well, what have you got to lose by including a little green tea in your day. Except, I would definitely recommend drinking green tea without sugar or sweeteners, so you can get all the benefits without the negative downfalls of sugar.
As for the exercise portion, if you’re already active, I would recommend working out at high intensities for shorter durations to really crank up your metabolism at the same time. If you’re working out hard enough, all you need is 20 - 30 minutes max! You’ll get better results in less time. I have thousands of people participating in my fitness program which is based on short but highly intense workouts and the results speaks for themselves. If your interested checked it out at www.MAXWorkouts.com.
So here’s a quick summary:
- Eat a well balanced diet consisting of whole, unrefined foods.
- Drink a cup of green tea (about 500 ml) with 650 mg/d of catechins per day.
- Participate in short but high intensity workouts regularly throughout the week.
So there you have it! Another simple and easy tip you can do, to help you burn off that stubborn belly fat and get your flat abs back in time for summer!
Did you think drinking green tea had such an effect?
Are you a regular green tea drinker, and if so, what health benefits have you noticed?
I’d love to know what you think about the article, so please your comments below!
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About The Author
Shin Ohtake is a widely recognized strength coach and fitness & fat-loss expert. His unconventional, no-nonsense approach to getting fit has made him the go-to source for fitness enthusiasts and trainers alike. Shin is also the author of the world famous, MAX Workouts book, which has transformed and reshaped the bodies of thousands of people across the globe - without requiring hours in the gym. To learn more about how MAX Workouts can help you achieve your fitness goals, visit maxworkouts.com.
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Does anyone know whether taking the green tea supplements are as effective as drinking green tea?