Green tea sets weight-loss industry abuzz

Mega-T Green Tea Dietary Supplement is sold at drugstores.

(Ken Kwok / LA Times)

CCA Industries, MetaboLife and Mason Vitamins claim their supplements can help fight weight gain. But while green tea has been shown to speed metabolism, its effects on weight don't yet pan out.

Like all industries, the herbal weight-loss business moves in cycles. Less than a decade ago, the stimulant herb ephedra was one of the stars of the scene. It sped up metabolism and weight loss, but it also raised the heart rate and, in some cases, caused strokes and heart attacks.

The Food and Drug Administration banned ephedra supplements in 2004, setting off an industrywide scramble to find another herb that could take its place. For now, the winner seems to be green tea. Its reputation as a healthful, revitalizing beverage goes back thousands of years, and it has recently started showing up in a wide range of weight-loss supplements.

Green tea naturally contains caffeine, a common ingredient in all sorts of weight-loss products. It also contains EGCG, a strong antioxidant that seems to encourage cells throughout the body to burn extra calories. In other words, it seems to be "thermogenic," a term that tends to get people in the weight-loss business very excited.


The Mega-T Green Tea Dietary Supplement from CCA Industries is sold at drugstores everywhere. Each caplet contains enough green tea extract to provide 90 milligrams of EGCG and 50 mg. of caffeine. The caplets also contain chromium, calcium, Hoodia gordonii cactus and (in one version) acai fruit, among other things. Users are instructed to take one caplet twice a day with a meal and a glass of water. A package of 90 caplets costs about $16.

Metabolife — a former leader in the ephedra market that filed for bankruptcy in 2005 amid a series of legal problems — is back in the weight-loss game with Metabolife Green Tea. According to its label, the supplement contains a "proprietary blend" that includes green tea, garcinia (a source of hydroxycitric acid) and guarana (a source of extra caffeine). The label doesn't specify how much green tea, caffeine or EGCG is in each tablet. Users are told to take two or three capsules a day about an hour before meals. A bottle of 90 capsules costs about $25.

Each tablet of Green Tea Slim from Mason Vitamins contains 60 mg. of EGCG along with chromium and apple cider vinegar, among other ingredients. Users are instructed to take one tablet two or three times a day with meals. A bottle of 60 tablets costs about $6.

CCA Industries, MetaboLife and Mason Vitamins all declined the chance to comment on their products.

The claims

The label for Mega-T Green Tea Dietary Supplement says that users can "lose up to 20 pounds." The package clarifies with an asterisked note that such results would occur "over a period of time with diet and exercise plan." According to the site, the supplement is "formulated to help you achieve your weight loss goals."

The Metabolife website says that the supplement "helps boost the body's metabolism, making it easier to burn unwanted calories."

The label for Green Tea Slim says the supplement "fights cravings and enhances metabolism" while promoting "thermogenic action."

The bottom line

Green tea really does seem to speed up metabolism, but recent studies show that the resulting weight loss is modest, bordering on trivial, says Craig Coleman, associate professor of pharmacy practice at the University of Connecticut in Storrs. "It sounds like it should work, but when the rubber hits the road in clinical trials, it doesn't really pan out."

Coleman co-authored a 2009 review of 15 studies on green tea and weight loss. On average, subjects who consumed green tea products lost an extra 1 to 3 pounds compared with those who took a placebo. Study participants generally consumed 300 mg. or more of EGCG every day, and the length of the studies ranged from three to 24 weeks. Because of such meager results, Coleman says, he "would not recommend patients take green tea extract in any form for weight loss."

But even modest weight loss can be a positive step, says Arpita Basu, assistant professor of nutritional sciences at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. Basu was the lead author of a 2010 study of 35 obese people who consumed either 4 cups of strong green tea, two capsules of green tea extract (totaling 460 mg. of EGCG) or two placebo pills every day for eight weeks.

Subjects drinking green tea or taking green tea supplements lost an extra 5.5 pounds (2.5 kilograms) and 4.9 pounds (1.9 kg.), respectively, compared with the subjects who didn't consume any green tea. Reporting in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, the researchers speculated that the weight-reducing power of green tea might be especially strong in people who are already obese.

Nobody should count on green tea alone to help them reach a healthy weight, but it could be a helpful part of a more comprehensive weight-loss program that includes diet and exercise, Basu says. Even if it didn't help shed a single pound, the antioxidants in green tea might help lower the risk of heart disease, she adds.

Basu is leery of products that pack all sorts of other active ingredients along with green tea, though. Instead, she suggests that people just brew a cup of fresh tea at home. "It's cheaper and safer," she says.

-LA Times

HK expands Tea Fair to promote role as global tea trade hub

 A salesperson promotes her products in the 2010 Hong Kong Tea Fair in Hong Kong, south China, Aug. 12, 2010. The 2010 Hong Kong Tea Fair kicked off Thursday in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center with the participation of over 300 participants from 15 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai)

The debut tea fair last year received strong support from major tea producing countries and regions, including the Chinese mainland, India, Kenya, Vietnam and Sri Lanka.

According to a survey conducted at the fair, more than 90 percent of the buyers agreed that Hong Kong has the capability to host an international tea competition, which helps enhance tea trade and promote tea brands, a comprehensive system and regulations on beverage quality testing and assuring, as well as the potential to develop into Asia’s tea leaf auction center.

They also said that, because Hong Kong does not produce much tea of its own, it can develop into a fair and bias-free trading and marketing center.

The tea fair is combined with the 21st Food Expo, which is the city’s annual food extravaganza and veteran exhibition brand, featuring over 740 exhibitors from over 22 countries and regions, a 21 percent rise over last year.

-Xinhua News Agency

Russian Iced tea market to toughen up....

Competition in the Russian iced tea market is expected to get tougher with Lipton and Nestea likely to be facing competition from popular U.S. based brand, AriZona Iced Tea. The Moscow brewing company is negotiating about Russia based production with Evgeny Kashper, a co owner of Detroit Investment, which owns Moscow brewering company, telling Kommersant that they began supplying AriZona Iced Tea to Russia last month.

“Currently we are holding talks with the brand owners to start bottling in autumn using the capacities of Moscow brewing company.”

AriZona Iced Tea is the second most popular iced tea beverage in the U.S. and is aiming to attract about 3% of the Russian market next year if bottling commences locally. The Russian market is currently dominated by Lipton and Nestea, who together have 96% of market According to Kashper, local production will reduce the retail price of AriZona in Russia to about 30 Roubles a bottle, compared with the 50 it is currently retailing for.

PepsiCo director of communications, Aleksandre Kostikov, thinks that the iced tea market in Russia has already consolidated into the two major players, and that this will make it difficult for a new entrant. He forecasts it will take between $3-5 million of investment to promote such a product in Russia. However, Alexey Krivoshapko, a director at Prosperity Capital Management, says the market isn’t developed enough in terms of volumes and has room for growth, creating a good opportunity for the Moscow brewing company.

“Given that Moscow brewing company has good contacts with all big chains, I think, it’s quite a realistic goal to gain 3% of the market in the first year of operations.”  

-RT Russia

TYPES OF CEYLON TEA

 Tea from Sri Lanka (Ceylon)

Sri Lanka has over 188,000 hectares under tea cultivation yielding about 298,000 tonnes of "made" tea, and accounting for more than 19% of world exports. In 1972, the island then known as Ceylon reverted to the traditional name of Sri Lanka, but retained the brand name of Ceylon for the marketing of its teas.

Tea from Sri Lanka falls into three categories: low-grown (on estates up to an elevation of 2,000ft); medium grown (on elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 ft); and high grown (elevations above 4,000 ft). Each level produces teas of unique character. By blending teas from different areas of the island and at varied elevations, Sri Lanka can offer a very wide range of flavour and colour. Some are full-bodied, others light and delicate, but all Ceylon blends will have brisk, full flavours and bright golden colour.

Because of its geographical location, tea can be plucked in Sri Lanka all year round – the west and east of the island are separated by central mountains so that as each region's season ends, the other begins. Below are descriptions of the three high grown regions.


Dimbula Region

Probably the most famous of Ceylon teas, Dimbula is cultivated on estates first planted with tea when their coffee crops failed in 1870. Grown 5,000ft above sea level, all Dimbula teas are light and bright in colour with a crisp strong flavour that leaves the mouth feeling fresh and clean. Today, it forms part of the high-grown zone of central Sri Lanka which includes Dickoya and Nuwara Eliya.

Example - Kenilworth Estate This tea has long wiry beautiful leaves that give an exquisite, almost oaky taste with good body and strength.

Uva Region

Uva is a fine flavoured tea grown at altitudes between 2,000ft and 4,000ft above sea level onthe eastern slopes of the central mountains in Sri Lanka. It has a bright, deep amber colour when brewed, with thebrisk andcrisp, strong Ceylon flavour. These teas are also used in Ceylon blendand make an ideal morning drink or an after-lunch tea.

Example - St James Estate This is a copper-coloured infusion with a very smooth, pronounced taste and a wonderful aroma. It is a perfect breakfast or day time tea.

Nuwara Eliya Region

Nuwara Eliya teas are light and delicate in character, bright in colour and with a fragrant flavour. Their flavour is heightened when taken with lemon rather than milk.

Example - Nuwara Eliya Estate This tea has a bright brisk flavour and a wonderful perfume, good to drink at any time of day with just a dash of milk.


Ceylon Blend

Ceylon teas span the entire spectrum of tea production, from low to high grown teas. Ceylon Blends was a tradition established at the end of the 19th Century and some companies still market blended Ceylon tea as Ceylon Orange Pekoe or Ceylon BOP. A good blend will produce bright, rich, coppery liquors with a brisk fresh flavour. To ensure that a pre-packed tea is indeed 100% Pure Ceylon Tea, look for the Ceylon Tea Board Lion logo.


Grades of Tea

Ceylon tea is divided into various grades. These grade names are an indication of size or appearance of manufactured leaf and not of its quality.

BOP - Well-made, neat leaf of medium size without excessive stalk or fiber. There should not be any fine particles (fannings and dust) which are not true-to-grade.

BOP Sp - Larger in size than a BOP lack and clean in appearance. Note: BOP & BOP special be treated as two grades, but for cataloging purposes treat as one grade.

BOPF - Neat leaf, fairly clean. ….. but smaller than the BOP grade. There should not be any fine dust present.

BOP 1 - Should be wiry and twisted, but shorter than an OP1.

FBOP - Smaller/shorter than BOP1 with presence of tips, but larger than FBOPF1.

FBOP 1 - Long, twisted, wiry leaf. Fairly tippy. Longer than BOP1.

PEKOE - Shotty, curly or semi-cirly leaf of large size of any elevation.

PEKOW1 - Same as Pekoe, but smaller in size than Pekoe of any elevation. This replaces the Flowery Pekoe grade.Note: Pekoe and Fekoe 1 will be treated as two grades, but for cataloguing purposes treat as one grade.

FBOPF (FF) - Similar in size to BOP……… and must contain tips.

FBOPF 1 (FF1) - Larger than BOP. Smaller than a FBOP with a show of tips.

FBOPF - Similar in size to BOP with a fair presence of tips.

FBOPF Ex. Sp. - Small leaf and must have an attractive show of golden or silver tips with little black leaf.

FBOPF Ex. Sp1 - Leafy and must have an attractive show of golden or silver tips with little black leaf.

OP 1 - Long, wiry well or partly twisted.

OP - Less wiry than OP1, but much more twisted than OPA.

OPA - Long bold leaf tea with air twist.

BP - (Off Grades) – Should e choppy, hard leaf.

BOP 1A - (Off Grades) – Any flak leaf without stalk and fiber (Clean tea).

BM (BROKENS) - (Off Grades) Mixed flaky leaf tea. Can have more fiber and stalk than BOP 1A.

BT - (Off Grades) – All mixed teas of varying sizes, with or without stalk and fiber.

FNGS 1 (FGS1) - (Off Grades) – Flaky leaf of small size. Can contain more fiber than BOPF, but reasonably clean.

FNGS (FGS) - (Off Grades) – Same as Fannings 1. Can be more fiber and uneven and not as clean as Fannings1.

DUST1 - Smaller than BOPF. (Rainy even well-made and reasonably clean)

DUST - (Off Grades) ………… size to Dust 1. Could be flaky and contain some fiber.

SILVER TIPS - Long tippy leaf, silver in colour, with hardly any black leaf.

GOLDEN TIPS - Long tippy leaf, golden in colour, with hardly any black leaf. Note: Tips and Golden Tips are not catalogued, but sold only privately.

BP1 - Equivalent to size of a high grown BOP, but granular.

BP Special - Larger particle size than BP1.

PF 1 - Equivalent in size to grainy high grown BOPF, but granular.

OF - Smaller than the PF 1. Larger than PD.

PF - (Off Grades) – Similar or slightly larger than PF1 and may contain some fiber.

PD - Grainy Dust grade. Should be smaller than OF.

DUST 1 - Less grainy than PD. Clean.

DUST - (Off Grades) – Inferior to Dust 1. Could be powdery and fibry.

In addition, there are the various “Flowery” varieties of the main grades (e.g. FOP and FBOPF).This tea possesses extraordinary quality in liquor and is composed almost entirely of small golden tip which are the extreme ends of the small succulent shoots of the plant, and the preparation of such tea is course most costly, since it involves sorting out the tip by hand.

Only small quantities of the leafy and flowery grades are produced. The former finds their chief markets in South America, and to a lesser degree in North Africa and a few North African countries. The latter is mostly popular in the Middle East, particularly Iran. Few of the up-country estates make these grades at all. Their stable lines are BOP and BOPF such as are dominant in Britain, Australia and South Africa. The demand appears to be forever smaller and smaller leaf, and a great deal of cutting or milling is resorted today, both in countries of origin and by the packers.

Source: Forbes Tea Portal