Tuesday 1 April 2014

About that daily "cupper".

The long overdue dbA check-in!

A few clients have asked me about the reasoning behind inclusion of green tea in the nutrition habit. I often have a vague answer of "...well it's good for metabolism and supposedly also digestive health..". This was founded in very basic reading and general information exchange with other persons in the field. Then one day a client gifted me a box of Yogi Green Tea - Muscle & Recovery and then I was you know what, I need to read into this green tea thing a little more as it's quite an 'in thing' to have right now. Side note though, I love the daily inspirational messages that come attached to the Yogi teas. Today's: Man is as vast as he acts.


#theresearch?: This was tough to gather information on but there are some articles on why it's recommended. It's been a staple in Asia for thousands of years (duh) but only recently (within the last decade) become big in the "western world". Not surprisingly it's first introduction to rest of us was in a bid to find foods with cancer-fighting properties. The big C as one friend calls it, seems to drive much of the research into alternate foods and medicines these days. The big selling ingredient in green tea is an antioxidant - epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Yes, have fun with that mouthful. This was not only found to be an antioxidant but also have potential to aid fat loss. #selloff now

This seems straightforward to what I have heard before, but what is this dream that I am being sold on muscle recovery. Early investigations turned up one study showing that when 1,200mg of EGCG was consumed daily, twice a day over a two week eccentric (negative repetition) training program, there seemed to be protective effect with regard to muscle soreness and  damage. While there are gaps in the information here, it suggests there is some direction for this school of thought. I will keep an open mind on this and keep my casual research into this and other herbal remedies active.

#teathehealer?: Not because I grew up with an English mum, I am here trying to justify high tea consumption, but various teas have been said to have healing or protective benefits. Another bit of reading stumbled across showed positive results over a 6-week investigation into black tea consumption (another growing hot number) and various stress markers. Tasks were provided to stimulate blood pressure and heart rate increase as well as increases in subjective stress ratings. In comparing the placebo group, the tea consumption group showed lower post-task cortisol levels (a stress marker mentioned in earlier blog) as well as increased subjective relaxation ratings. Therefore, there maybe some credit to the emergence of black tea in the health and wellness nutrition side of things as it pertains to stress management.

This blog was by no means an attempt to convert you to tea drinking, but possibly add some insight into an existing tea habit. Maybe you were on the fence before and might now have one leg over on the tea side. I will continue to have my cup or two a day, more so to keep me away from soft drinks, mainly Coke, than necessarily for fat loss or stress relief. Those may happen too according to some of the reading & that's a bonus. Have blessed day...

dbA out!

Sources included:
Joe Weider's Muscle & Fitness 07445105, Jul2009, Vol. 70, Issue 7

Department of Epidemiology and Public Health (UK)A. Steptoe (*E. L. Gibson R. Vounonvirta E. D. Williams M. Hamer J. Wardle through the Link award from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, UK, by Unilever Research Colworth, and by the British Heart Foundation. 





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