Green Tea

Theanine is an amino acid found in green tea which has been found to induce relaxation and the release of dopamine which helps to provide a feeling of well-being.  Theanine helps to reduce the effects of caffeine. Green tea weight loss supplements are not recommended due to reports of liver toxicity.

Effectiveness of green tea in weight loss:

A randomized double-blind, controlled parallel multi-center trial included a treatment group with an intake of 583 mg catechin (equivalent of about 4-5 cups of green tea per day), while those in the control group had an intake of 96 mg catechin. Decreases in body weight, body mass index, body fat ratio, body fat mass, waist circumference, hip circumference, visceral fat area, and subcutaneous fat area were found to be greater in the catechin group than in the control group. Those in the treatment group experienced a loss of about 4 pounds after 12 weeks. (115)