The Chinese have used green tea since the ancient times to treat illnesses, from headaches to depression. It’s been found to inhibit the growth of cancer cells and raise good cholesterol.
And now, here’s tea-tillating news: According to recent findings, green tea “can raise your energy expenditure, and possibly even help battle obesity,” according to a new study.
A compound found in green tea, Epigallocatechin gallate (or simply EGCG), has been shown to increase fat oxidation by 33 percent. A big fat volume of studies has looked at green tea’s weight-reducing properties. These studies note that EGCG can help in weight loss by inhibiting fat cell development and increasing fat excretion.
Health activist Dr. Joseph Mercola agrees that green tea does appear to have fat-burning properties (related to a class of polyphenols called catechins, which are naturally occurring antioxidants).
But you ask, “Will it really melt my stubborn fat away?”
According to Mercola, “There is some evidence that long-term consumption of tea catechins is beneficial for burning fat. At least one study attributes the effects, in part, to the activation of hepatic lipid catabolism, which involves the release of energy resulting in the breakdown of complex materials.”
But let’s look at the other side of the story. According to the Journal of Nutrition (January 2010), “There is emerging evidence that high doses of tea polyphenols may have adverse side effects,”
Dr. Mercola warns, “Yes, too much of a good thing can be just as bad as not enough, and when it comes to avoiding or treating obesity with a supplement — whether it’s natural or not — I would strongly suggest using caution and common sense.”
Of course, the good doctor is not saying that green tea can’t be a healthy part of one’s diet. As mentioned earlier, green tea has been shown to have a number of health-boosting properties. But Mercola cautions everyone, “Just avoid looking at it as a magic potion that will miraculously make you shed pounds, or worse, prevent you from gaining weight if your diet is less than ideal.”
Then there’s the misconception that to get the health benefits of green tea, you’ll have to drink pots and pots of it. The truth is, says Mercola, much of the research on green tea has been based on about three cups daily.
Then, too, the fat-burning effect of EGCG happens during the first two hours right after eating. Mercola notes, “During those two hours, a dose of 300 mg. of EGCG helped boost fat oxidation by 33 percent. But at the higher dosage, this effect was reduced to 20 percent. Clearly, in this case, more antioxidants did not equate to more weight loss potential.”
Mercola’s prescription: “If you enjoy green tea, add a few cups to your day as an overall healthy addition to your diet.”
And don’t forget that any healthy regimen should include a good dose of exercise. Let’s all drink to that!
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Green queries
Dear Consumerline,
Thank you for your article “What on earth did you do on Earth Day?” last Tuesday, April 27in this section of The Philippine STAR.
We’re currently having some house repairs and in so doing, we have some unnecessary things to sort into: throw, keep, recycle.
Here are a couple of questions:
1. What cloth dye can you recommend for some old and faded curtains which can still be utilized for everyday use?
2. How do we dispose of old diskettes — the floppy 5x5 and 3x3 kinds that are no longer acceptable with the computer technology today?
— CELIA O. CRUZ
Your query was forwarded to us and we are pleased to provide some information that we hope will address your needs.
1. Dyes for old and faded curtains. The Philippine Textile Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (PRTI-DOST) has been conducting groundbreaking research on plant-based fabric dyes. They have developed assorted dye powders from locally available trees such as acacia, bakawan, balete, ipil-ipil, kapok, katuray, langka, madre de cacao, narra, sampaloc, and talisay, to name a few. Unfortunately, many of these colorful dyes are not yet commercially available. The good news is PTRI is keeping a small quantity of some of these dyes, which can be purchased from P5 to 7 per gram. The PTRI even conducts training activities where skills on natural dye extraction are taught. Great if you can ask the agency if these natural dyes are truly eco-friendly and free of harmful chemicals.
To contact the PTRI, write or call: Julius Leaño, Philippine Textile Research Institute, General Santos Avenue, Bicutan, 1631 Taguig City; phone: 837-1349.
2. Old computer diskettes. Old diskettes such as the 3 x 3-inch and 5 x 5-inch floppy disks have become obsolete and can no longer be reformatted and used in most computers. Perhaps what you can do is to visit the junk shop nearest you, or check with the itinerant recycler, who usually visits our neighborhood in a wooden cart or pedicab, if he can take and recycle your floppies. The magnetic disk and plastic shell should have some economic value and can be recycled into other items. Another option is to repurpose the disks into something decorative or functional such as turning them into a penholder, paper holder, letter organizer or dry flower vase. You will only need a suitable plastic glue to stick disks together and, yes, an ounce of creativity. — Manny C. Calonzo
EcoWaste Coalition www.ecowastecoalition.org
Meanwhile, as Elections 2010 draw closer and closer, concerned citizens of the planet zero in on how the assorted campaign materials have turned the streets and even the skies a giant waste bin. “This utter disrespect for Mother Earth has become more blatant and widespread,” laments Roy Alvarez, president, EcoWaste Coalition.
The waste and pollution watchdog took note not only of the trees festooned with campaign propaganda but also of “the brazen violation of other basic electoral and environmental regulations such as the littering of candidates’ promotional leaflets in campaign sorties, the use of smoky vehicles in motorcades, the hanging of posters and streamers on electric wires and posts or over walkways and sidewalks, and the use of oversized posters and billboards.
According to COMELEC National Capital Region Director Michael Dioneda, around 95 percent of local and national bets had disobeyed the guidelines on the posting of campaign materials. This is pretty obvious, judging from the tons and tons of election paraphernalia that litter our streets and make our city one big eyesore.
Alvarez pleads, “We therefore beg the 50,000 candidates vying for nearly 18,000 national and local positions to stand for Mother Earth and put environmental conservation and protection at the heart of their campaign to win and to serve.”
He adds, “We further dare all pro-environment candidates to show their genuine concern for the environment by voluntarily removing their campaign posters that are illegally nailed on trees or placed outside common poster areas and not wait for the government personnel to remove these for them.”
The eco group urged the hopefuls to abide by the 5 Rs — restrain, reduce, respect, retrieve, and remove:
• Restrain from spending for political advertisements and other forms of election propaganda beyond the legal limits. Don’t cheat your way to victory by overspending.
• Reduce campaign trash by keeping the volume of materials to what is only necessary. Say no to materials that are hardly reused or recycled such as confetti, buntings, balloons, and, yes, sample ballots come election day.
• Respect the trees by not nailing or tying campaign materials on them. Nails hurt and kill trees. Please stick to common poster areas.
• Retrieve campaign materials, particularly the widely-used tarpaulin banners, and repurpose them as roofing materials, school bags or as carry bags for relief goods. Make sure that spent materials do not get dumped or burned.
• Remove election campaign materials immediately after election day on May 10. Win or lose, bring your tarps down and scrape your posters off the walls.
Here’s to a clean sweep!
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