A breast cancer diagnosis is terrifying. When I received the news, I was walking on my treadmill. My doctor called and simply said, "It is bad news, you have cancer." My response was, "Is it bad" and she responded, "Well it isn't good, it's cancer." I almost dropped the phone and fell off the treadmill. I felt abandoned by my doctor as she offered no support or information. I felt terrified and was sure that my life would soon be over.
I felt like I was on my own. I pulled myself together and started to research everything I could find about my cancer and the chances of recurrence. I learned that there are things that I could do to significantly reduce my risk of having a recurrence. There are many cancer-fighting substances that come from nature. I worked hard to put together a regime that would work for me.
One powerful substance is green tea. It is full of catechins and polyphenols. These are strong antioxidants that help to control free radicals in our bodies and induce apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells. I drink at least 5-6 cups each day as part of my cancer-fighting regime.
But, there is also common belief that there is a connection between green tea and weight loss. There are a couple of theories, not yet backed by research, behind this belief. One is that it increases heat production (thermogenesis) in our systems thereby encouraging fat burning.
Others believe that the caffeine in green tea is what encourages weight loss. It works synergistically with the EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) catechins to effect weight loss by increasing metabolism.
It is also believed to effect blood sugar by inhibiting glucose uptake into fat cells thereby facilitating weight loss. We will not know precisely what the connection is between green tea and weight loss until further studies are completed.
Since I changed my regime and incorporated green tea into my life, I have lost 50 lbs. However, I have also made major lifestyle changes. It is hard to know what exactly played a role, but I like to think that green tea plays a role in my improved health.




Green tea or a green tea weight loss supplement, should not be the only change you make to your lifestyle in an attempt to lose weight.
Exercise is important for good health and should be a part of your healthy lifestyle. It is said that by consuming green tea, you can improve your endurance by as much as 25%. When one consumes the tea prior to exercise, the number of calories burned appear to be higher than when the tea is not consumed. This has been proven in research studies on mice, but is not conclusive in humans at this point in time.
Another important consideration in weight loss is eating the right foods. A mostly plant-based diet rich in organic fruits and vegetables is ideal. You should severely limit or eliminate processed foods from your diet in order to keep weight off permanently.
When considering all of the factors linking green tea and weight loss, keep in mind that while it may encourage weight loss when combined with exercise and a proper diet, any one of these factors alone may not do the trick. I have come to really enjoy my 5-6 cups everyday.
By incorporating it into your everyday life, the powerful antioxidants that are present in green tea are beneficial whether or not you are trying to accomplish weight loss.