taylorblustyan - Tumblr blog

taylorblustyan · 4 years ago

Text

Sample Work: Policy Paper on H.R 1319

This paper intends to explain the H.R 1319 bill and describe how it has the potential to benefit hundreds of thousands of Americans while others argue it could be permanently detrimental to American culture and society. It discusses the pros and cons that our two-party system claims coincide with the bill, while explaining why this controversy over the bill is historic.

Policy Paper:

As we are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel from our first global pandemic since 1918, COVID-19 has further polarized the United States political unrest that has been accumulating for the last decade. For this reason, developing a COVID Relief Package on the federal level has been far from graceful due to extreme partisan disagreements. Tragically, the pandemic became our third leading cause of death, right behind heart disease and cancer in 2020. Many U.S citizens have been kept up to date daily since the pandemic began on the number of cases and fatalities we have seen from this infectious disease. What has been more difficult for society to see is the financial, social, and mental implications it has had on millions of lives. In one way or another every single person has been affected by the pandemic. Many have had to adjust having to homeschool children, losing a job, grieving a loved one, downsizing a home, and more just to adapt to a new normal. With that being said, there is involvement that is necessary from our federal, local, and state governments to aid their tax-paying citizens during what is arguably the greatest economic hardship many Americans will ever face in their lifetimes. The most recent bill: H.R 1319, The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), was signed into law on March 11, 2021 to provide about $1.9 trillion in relief.

This bill is the third round of relief that has been signed into law since the pandemic began. The focus of the bill is to address the economic and health disparities that have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Some of the major key revisions listed in this bill are $1400 stimulus checks for individuals making less than $80,000 after taxes or a joint tax return less than $160,000 and even extended unemployment benefits to ensure an individual could receive $10,200 of non-taxable money. They also increased child tax credits from $2,000 per child to $3,000 per child under 18-years-old. The plan also includes $170 billion of funding to go towards schools all over the country to fully reopen and implement new health-safety measures. Another $7.25 billion will be allotted to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) which extends loans and benefits to small businesses nationally. About $12 billion is going towards food assistance programs which is expected to increase the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) by 15%. Another $85 billion is expected to go towards COVID-19 efforts by funding testing and vaccines as the country goes back to their daily lives. Another $90 billion is expected to go towards infrastructure and transportation. (H.R 1319). While all of these revisions seem to address a variety of hardships, many are still unsatisfied with proposals that did not end up in ARPA. A few of these controversial proposals included, no increase to the federal minimum wage, no elimination of a tip credit, and no entitlement to a paid leave from employers. Although many would agree these proposals sound reasonable, the states typically have their own legislation on all three of those issues already.

The American Rescue Plan Act aims to address nearly all of the Americans most impacted by the pandemic by providing funding, guidance, and support to a variety of businesses, families, schools, and assistance programs. Despite what seems like a perfect bill, there had been compelling resistance from the senate to pass it. Once again our federal government was polarized by its partisan views which led Democrats to single-handedly get the bill signed into law. The resistance by republicans was supported by a number of reasons. The first reason being that the majority of the citizens who are receiving unemployment benefits are actually receiving about twice of what their normal salary is. They argued that this scenario was attempted in Seattle, WA and actually drove unemployment up because citizens were incentivised by how much more they could make by not working. Although many republicans do believe that unemployment benefits should be expanded, they want it to only cover 100% of what citizens would have made before becoming unemployed. Although Americans need aid urgently, there is a risk of perpetrating a reliance on unemployment benefits if they are making significantly more than they ever have before.

After living through a year and a half in a pandemic, the most we can do as a country is learn what we have done right and what we have done wrong. From a policy standpoint, lawmakers should begin focusing on legislation that promotes prevention of issues such as food insecurity, child care costs, and job insecurity, all issues which were exponentially heightened by the pandemic. The people who are living at or near the poverty line suffer disproportionately when our economy plummets the way it had in the last year, despite making up the majority of the “essential workforce.” It has never been more clear that we need to invest more in our citizens that are living at or near the poverty line in order to improve their social determinants of health by having a living wage, food to put on the table, quality education, healthy living space, and adequate healthcare. This COVID-19 relief bill is long overdue but it will hopefully alleviate a bit of economic, mental, and emotional stress the citizens of the United States have been battling since 2020.

References:

H.R. 1319: AMERICAN rescue PLAN act of 2021. (2021, March 6). Retrieved April 27,

2021, from https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/117/hr1319/summary

H.R.1319 – AMERICAN rescue PLAN act of 2021 – final text. (2021, March 10). Retrieved April 27, 2021, from https://www.rpc.senate.gov/policy-papers/hr1319_american-rescue-plan-act-of-2021_final-text

GovTrack.us. (2021). H.R. 1319 — 117th Congress: American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

Retrieved from https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/117/hr1319

Yarmuth, J. (2021, March 11). All info - H.R.1319 - 117th CONGRESS (2021-2022): AMERICAN rescue PLAN act of 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2021, from https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1319/all-info

By Dottie Rosenbaum, More from the Authors Dottie Rosenbaum Areas of Expertise,

Dottie Rosenbaum Areas of Expertise Food Assistance Recent Work: Reversing Trump Policy,

Recent Work: Reversing Trump Policy, Policy, R., Zoë Neuberger Areas of Expertise Food

Assistance Recent Work: Food Assistance in American Rescue Plan Act Will Reduce Hardship, .

. . Catlin Nchako Areas of Expertise Food Assistance SNAP Basics Child Nutrition and WIC

Recent Work: Food. (n.d.). Food assistance in AMERICAN rescue PLAN act will REDUCE

HARDSHIP, provide economic stimulus. Retrieved April 27, 2021, from https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/food-assistance-in-american-rescue-plan-act-willreduce-hardship-provide

0 notes

taylorblustyan · 4 years ago

Text

Sample Work: Factors That Influence Vegetable Consumption Among College Students

This paper is intended to analyze and examine research that has been conducted on college students vegetable consumption tendencies. This analysis reviewed numerous peer-reviewed research publications that studied the factors that influence college-students intake. The paper also contains my own personal qualitative research data I accumulated through anonymous interviews with current college-students. The interview questions were tailored to elicit specific responses that would provide an accurate account of what influences each of the participant’s individual intake. After gathering my own data, I compared and contrasted it to the peer-reviewed research publications that are referenced throughout the paper in order to identify patterns and commonalities.

Factors That Influence Vegetable Consumption Among College Students

Abstract

Numerous studies have been conducted to determine the relative consumption of vegetables among university students between the ages of eighteen to twenty-five. This topic has been chosen to further research the patterns behind college student’s vegetable consumption during this transitional stage of life. Majority of studies infer that college students are not consuming adequate amounts of vegetables during these developmental years. According to the systematic review conducted on university students by Sage Journals, they are only consuming about 40% of the recommended daily intake (Rodrigues et al., 2019). I conducted qualitative research to analyze any common factors that affect the amount of vegetables college students consume regularly by surveying four college students with various lifestyles and schedules. The survey questionnaire helped determine the common factors that either prevent or encourage each student's individual vegetable intake. The most common recurring themes came down to price, convenience, taste, and perishability that affected at least 75% of the participant's consumption.

Introduction

Many students end up leaving their family home for the first time when they attend university. These changes impact their individual nutritional habits as they navigate their new normal when it comes to food choices. As students begin to form their own eating patterns during this transitional stage, these patterns are likely to end up lasting a lifetime. This is why developing a habit of eating the optimal amount of vegetables a day is beneficial to their health for years to come. Because vegetable consumption is associated with improved energy levels, reduced risk of diseases, and potentially enhancing longevity, this paper will analyze the vegetable consumption patterns among college students and what factors determine it (Rodriguez et al., 2019). I performed a qualitative study to assess behaviors, perceptions, and setbacks the participants have when it comes to their vegetable consumption. The questions I asked throughout the questionnaire were inspired by quantitative research articles I have read on the topic that provided statistical analysis of university students' vegetable consumption in the

United States.

The quantitative systematic review conducted by (Rodrigues et al., 2019) researched the consumption and factors that are associated with an increased intake of vegetables among college students. They utilized over 70 different studies between the years of 2009 to 2018 to examine commonalities and associations that could indicate what influences overall intake during this stage of life. The systematic review consisted of 65,971 college students from 155 different universities in 30 countries. The study discusses various factors that deter students from eating enough vegetables such as socioeconomic standing, nutritional knowledge, and lifestyle habits. Their methods of research consisted of systematic reviews of research conducted strictly on the vegetable food group intake and tried to eliminate excess research such as fruits or whole grains. Theis analysis found that the “Mean frequency of daily vegetable intake was 40.2%, varying from 11.2% to 72.4%.” (Rodrigues et al., 2019). The drastic variation in consumption has been linked to the factors previously discussed, such as lifestyle habits. One of the most distinct lifestyle factors is the positive association between regions that commonly eat breakfast and vegetable consumption and less intake in areas where it is regularly skipped. Another distinct association, likely related to lifestyle factors, is that the highest reports of consumption came from studies consisting of at least 70% female participants (Rodrigues et al., 2019). The results of this study determined that the majority of college-students do not meet the vegetable intake recommendations from the World Health Organization, as well as many other official guidelines.

The qualitative and quantitative consumer-survey conducted by (Walker et al., 2009) collected data from six California college campuses on the produce consumption behaviors of college students. The overall findings pointed to an underconsumption of fruits and vegetables by students for various reasons. The article describes how college students do not typically face a lack of access to produce, but instead they are more susceptible to buying convenience foods. Convenience foods are important to students because they are typically cheaper, last longer, and are more timely for their busy lives. When students were asked why they do not eat more fruits and vegetables, 46.7% said that they were too perishable, and 23.4% said because of the lack of convenience (Walker et al., 2009). The article emphasizes that we could see an increase in consumption if more produce was accessible on campus for reasonable prices because that is where they spend most of their time. It can also be tricky and time-consuming to pack cooked vegetables as a regular snack, so by having them ready-to-go on campus, it can encourage healthier choices.

Methods

The methods used to research the vegetable consumption habits among college students consisted of a qualitative interview guide that delineated questions for various participants to share their personal opinions, perspectives, and tendencies when it comes to vegetable intake. The research articles previously described guided the development of the relevant questions asked during each qualitative interview in order to accurately elicit responses that would shed light on the leading influences on vegetable consumption during college.

Student tendencies of vegetable consumption were analyzed using four qualitative interviews of about 20-30 minutes of questions regarding college students’ typical vegetable intake. The interviews consisted of open-ended questions that examined each student’s personal vegetable intake, factors that prevent them from consuming more, factors that encourage them to eat more, and basic nutrition education on vegetables. The purpose of the interviews was to gather authentic feedback from college-students that would accurately reflect their views and personal habits on vegetable consumption. One flaw of this study is that the students may be hesitant to honestly disclose their eating habits and tendencies. Each interview optimally provided reassurance that this information is anonymous and will not be subject to judgement, but instead strictly research.

This project aimed to diversify interviews amongst four college students with varying lifestyles. In order to retrieve the most honest answers to the interview questions by providing a comfortable familiarity, participants will be acquaintances of the interviewer. Because all students are currently virtual, one student will be an athlete, one will live at home with their family, one will be vegan, and one will be in a fraternity. These four participants were chosen to get the perspective of different lifestyles within the category of college-students. Examining vegetable consumption will be the main focus, and identifying factors such as cost, convenience, cooking-education, perceived benefits, and taste will be what is used to understand the different reasons for varied intake. Although this qualitative research provides a good idea behind college-students vegetable consumption, reports from only four participants may not be an accurate generalization of all college-students in the United States.

After conducting each individual interview, the data was analyzed through a series of procedures. First each participant's interview was summarized into key points after thorough review of each of the responses called field notes. These field notes aided in finding common themes and subthemes between each of the participants responses that identified overarching factors influencing each of their personal eating habits. These themes were determined to be cost, convenience, and lifestyle factors, while subthemes consisted of time, energy, and prioritization. By breaking down each of the responses into summarizations and then further into themes, we can easily interpret the data and compare it to each of the students' lifestyles.

Results and Discussion

Overall each participant, despite having drastically different lifestyles, reported sharing common setbacks to their overall vegetable consumption. The key themes that stood out throughout the questionnaires were the prices, time it takes to prepare, how quickly they perish, and if they have the energy to cook. These shared factors are likely due to the traditional lifestyle of a college student. A typical week in the life of university students consists of twenty hours of class, ten hours of homework, various time studying, various time exercising, various time socializing, and many more activities students engage in which leaves very little time to invest in preparing elaborate meals. When meals are skipped or purchased we see a correlation between less vegetables and other vital nutrients being consumed and instead higher intakes of unhealthy fats. This is why it is important to address the setbacks, education, and attitudes students have about vegetables during a time when they are likely forming lifelong eating habits.

Convenience/Time

The convenience of preparing, cooking, and overall incorporating vegetables into meals is arguably one of the most important factors that influences students' vegetable intake. With lifestyles that are constantly versatile and on-the-go, they rely on foods that are easily accessible.

Packing foods that do not risk a mess, perishing, or taking too much time to consume is a regular mindset students have in order to relieve themselves of any time-crunch or meal-skipping. This ultimately limits their vegetable intake because it often is reported to be too tedious to prepare vegetables to taste enjoyable then spend time prepping them in various to-go containers, all before they go bad. They also risk potentially making a mess if not properly secured or sealed which can deter students from bringing them as a snack to class, but instead grabbing the bag of chips with a guaranteed seal. Even by the end of the day when a student gets home to make dinner with the vegetables they just bought, it can be discouraging to find the energy to chop and prepare them in a way that tastes best to their personal preferences. Meanwhile, other participants have reported that cooking and preparing meals with vegetables can be a relaxing and therapeutic process, but they still feel the need to have the energy to do so. Participants who were determined to meet their vegetable needs would combat this issue by incorporating them into smoothies, buying them pre-packaged, or meal-prepping on a day they found time.

Prices/Perishability

In the qualitative questionnaires and quantitative research articles I have analyzed, prices of vegetables continue to come up as a potential setback. This is likely due to the tight budget majority of college students live on. Other articles argue it is not necessarily the prices themselves that deter students from purchasing vegetables but more so the pressure to consume them before they go bad. A study done by the USDA found that on average Americans waste about a pound of food a day or 30-40% of their groceries (Rubiconn, 2021). For a college student already having to pay record high tuition rates and monthly rent, wasting 30-40% of the food they purchase makes a substantial difference. This encourages students to go with safer and more preservable foods such as frozen or processed foods that are guaranteed a longer shelf life. These factors influence students' normal dietary habits and increase their risks of chronic and acute diseases due to a lack of vital nutrients that are being replaced by high-sodium and high-fat foods. Participants that considered themselves to be very health conscious, while on a budget, reported avoiding this issue by only buying frozen vegetables or cooking their vegetables within the first two days of purchasing them to eat throughout the week. Students who are vegan or vegetarian describe how this is a very common strategy that is used because they are typically spending over half of their grocery money on perishable foods in order to meet their nutrient needs despite their somewhat restricted diet.

Education/Lifestyle

Although factors such as education and lifestyle aren’t as clear to the eye, they have a strong association with the amount of vegetable consumption a college student is likely to have. Education and lifestyle are closely related due to the fact that socioeconomic status plays a

distinct role in both. Low-socioeconomic status is commonly associated with lower education which not only encourages families to save money by buying cheaper, highly processed foods in order to save money but they are also likely unaware of the detrimental health impacts this may cause (Oregon State University, 2017). When grocery budgets are stretched it deters families from spending it on nutritious fruits and vegetables but instead processed foods in bulk that are correlated to high cholesterol, fats, and sodium diets (The Nutrition Source, 2019). The way we grow up eating and the foods we are exposed to set up a lot of the eating habits we will carry over into adulthood. For college students who are experimenting with cooking and shopping for themselves for the first time, they are likely to resort to foods they are very familiar with. For students that have grown up in households with the tendency to eat mostly energy dense foods, this can solidify their unhealthy habits into their individual lives and likely onto their future households if there are not any interventions that promote health conscientiousness. Attitudes about foods make a significant difference in the way students eat on a daily basis because this determines whether they eat for health and satisfaction or simply for fullness. These attitudes can be influenced by how athletic, busy, or stressed a student is, and can likely be very versatile throughout their college careers.

Each of these themes are just a few of the leading factors that influence college-students vegetable consumption during this transitional period where their lifelong eating habits are forming. By understanding each of these factors we can implement the interventions and policies necessary to support students in developing healthy lifestyles. There are obvious parallels between each of the participants' responses to the research studies described previously. These parallels include the desire for convenience due to busy schedules, affordability, and prioritization of their health. By comparing my personal research to the two research articles it has helped zero-in on what is causing most college students to eat less vegetables than the dietary recommendations.

Conclusion

With the use of the qualitative research interviewing technique as well as further research and analysis of meta-analyses and systematic reviews on the college students vegetable consumption, there are clear factors that play a major role worldwide. Both the interview/questionnaire and research articles concluded that convenience, cost, and lifetime eating habits are arguably the most impactful determinants of vegetable consumption throughout college years. Students are susceptible to buying cheap foods that are easily accessible and familiar. For these reasons we see an increase in consumption of processed foods in the diet during these years which leaves less room for nutrient dense vegetables. We can even see these habits translate from the households they grew up in, especially if they come from a low-socioeconomic background. These tendencies usually coincide with lack of education of overall health and wellbeing which may deter students from caring about making an effort to incorporate a substantial amount of vegetables into their regular diets. For these reasons, as well as many other factors, we regularly see inadequate consumption among college students.

References

Mello Rodrigues, V., Bray, J., Fernandes, A., Luci Bernardo, G., Hartwell, H., Secchi Martinelli, S., . . . Proença, R. (2019, July 17). Vegetable consumption and factors associated with increased intake among college Students: A SCOPING review of the last 10 years.

Retrieved March 05, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6682864/

Food Waste in America: Facts and Statistics (2021 Update). Rubicon. (2021, March 1).

https://www.rubicon.com/blog/food-waste-facts/

Processed Foods and Health. The Nutrition Source. (2019, June 24).

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/processed-foods/

Study: College students not eating enough fruits and veggies. Life at OSU. (2017,

October 5). https://today.oregonstate.edu/archives/2011/aug/study-college-students-not-eating-enough-fruitsand-veggies

Walker, B. M., Wolf, M. M., & Schroeter, C. (2009, March 9). An Examination of College Students' Produce Consumption and Purchasing Behavior: A Case Study in California.

Retrieved February 22, 2021, from Journal of Food Distribution Research.

0 notes

taylorblustyan · 4 years ago

Text

Sample Work: Physiological Benefits of Green Tea

This paper is intended to analyze research conducted on the physiological benefits green tea has on the human body. This analysis is helpful in informing the audience about the truth of the health benefits we receive from this superfood since we are living in a time where there is an abundance of misinformation and “miracle cures” circulating on the internet. The paper consists of references to numerous meta-analyses and systematic reviews previously conducted on green tea and combines them to identify a pattern of significant findings that are proven through thorough peer-reviewed research.

Title

The Benefits of Green Tea as a Functional Food

Taylor Bailey-Lustyan

March 3, 2020

NFSC 345W

Introduction

As the popularity of dietary supplements and functional foods continues to grow, it is crucial we as consumers know what it is that we are consuming and how it is benefiting us, if at all. Green tea is one of the most prevalent functional foods we see in the diet around the world. With its abundance of antioxidants, phytochemicals, and polyphenols, it has made a big name for itself in the dietary supplement and functional food industry as one of the most ideal foods to support weight loss and weight maintenance efforts. Consumption of green tea began in Eastern Asia as far back as 1200 B.C. It was primarily used for medicinal purposes until it made its way into European and other western cultures in the 19th Century as a common household item. Green tea has traditionally been appealing to western consumers due to its caffeine content and flavor. It was not until the last decade that the popularity sky-rocketed solely due to its health benefits. The antioxidant-rich beverage is commonly advertised to reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and various cancers. It is becoming increasingly prevalent in American culture for certain foods to be acclaimed as possible treatments for diseases, weight-loss, or overall health. However, these claims are typically based solely on observational studies instead of reliable studies with control groups and a placebo. I chose to research the functional food green tea to study because I am interested in what common claims about the household drink were true or false based on highly reliable research articles. The focus of this paper will include the effects of green tea on weight-loss and weight-maintenance because as I researched the topic, weight-loss and weight-maintenance tended to be the most commonly claimed "benefits" of consuming green tea in the diet. As the westernized lifestyle and diet continues to drive the obesity epidemic, consisting of about 39.8% of Americans, consumers are increasingly relying on weight loss supplements and fad diets as an attempt to lose or maintain weight. The desire for weight-loss has even been one of the driving reasons behind the increased market for functional foods that are commonly claimed to "burn fat," such as yogurt, turmeric, avocados, lemon, and plenty more. Antioxidants in functional foods are making a name for themselves as "miracle workers" when it comes to prevention of chronic disease and other health defects. For these reasons, I decided to do an in-depth analysis of the evidence provided on the benefits of green tea and how it works in the body to support weight loss to clarify what is true and what is false when it comes to the claims made about this product. The science behind green tea consumption and weight-loss is complex and consistently evolving with more research.

Discussion

The efficacy of green tea being used to supplement weight-loss or weight maintenance is relatively well-supported with in-depth research conducted by various crossover studies, cohort studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. Some studies prove significantly positive results, meanwhile others do not. The claims made about green tea as a weight-loss supplement root from the idea that the antioxidants catechins, a derivative of flavonoids, increase fat oxidation in the body. The significance of the increase in fat oxidation has been studied through a series of different experiments that have conducted trials with placebo, control group, and statistical analysis. The majority of the research conducted has positively supported green tea's effect on weight-loss and weight-maintenance due to the catechin's physiological mechanism have on fat oxidation in the body. A crossover study conducted by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that average oxidation rates were 17% higher after ingestion of green tea extract than after the placebo ingestion. Another study conducted by the Journal of Health Science found that combining regular exercise with 500mg of catechins a day increased oxidative degradations of free fatty acids in the liver and muscle tissues by increasing lipolysis of adipose tissues in the body. These findings of the effect on catechins in fat oxidation are correlated to higher uptake of fat being used for energy in the body instead of glucose. There is variability with the bioactive form from person to person, so demographics tend to differ in their response to the mechanism of catechins in the body.

The physiological mechanism in which green tea acts on the body is made up of a complex web of functions that the antioxidants have in the body and how they stimulate different processes that induce fat oxidation and lipolysis. The debate about how significantly the flavonoids in green tea may or may not affect weight-loss is based on the bioavailability of these compounds when consumed. Green tea contains a high quantity of catechins, with the main four types being: epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epicatechin gallate, epigallocatechin (EGC), and epicatechin, with the most abundant and biologically active being EGCG. According to The Journal of Nutrition, the antioxidative effect of the catechins upregulates fat oxidation. It increases triglyceride levels in the blood, which allows the fatty acids to be burned more readily instead of glucose for energy. The EGCG causes the mechanism by which fat is upregulated. EGCG inhibits the enzyme, catechol-O-methyltransferase, that is supposed to breakdown the hormone norepinephrine, so when EGCG is consumed, norepinephrine levels rise. The increase in norepinephrine levels promotes the breakdown of fat in the body by prolonging adrenergic drive and stimulating lipolysis in the body. When it comes to the debate on whether or not green tea is useful for supplementing weight-loss has to do with the bioavailability of the compounds in the body after they are consumed. The bioavailability of flavonoids is why there is an abundance of discrepancies among research explicitly conducted on its effect on a person's weight. No human body is the same, so for some research participants, it is plausible that they are more susceptible to the catechins' bioactive forms.

Green tea comes in many supplemental forms, such as oils, fluids, capsules, and the everyday tea bag. The most common supplemental form is green tea extract capsules, which may contain various beneficial components. It commonly contains are polyphenols, xanthine's (caffeine), vitamins, amino acids, microelements, or essential oils. Each of these plays a different role in the body, and they can be narrowed down to aid a specific health outcome such as diabetes prevention, hyperlipidemia, weight-loss, and more. EGCG, the most potent of the catechins, is often the most desired component in any green tea supplement because it is the backbone to the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticarcinogenic properties. Green tea extract is usually recommended for people who would like to receive the health benefits from catechins without the risk of aluminum and other heavy metals that may have previously contaminated the tea leaves before pulverization. The extract has even proven to potentially have higher efficacy in the body compared to catechins in brewed tea. Despite the plethora of benefits catechins provide in the body, there is an upper limit to which consumption is optimal, just like all other vitamins and minerals. According to Basu et al. (2013), about 870mg of green tea extract is optimal to boost blood antioxidant capacity. This dosage is based on the research conducted by comparing plasma levels in the blood between the control group and groups with various catechins' dosages. When quality research is conducted to test how dietary supplements and functional foods work in our bodies, there is typically a specific demographic that is tested at a time in order to reduce confounding variables. Concerning weight-loss as a condition of green tea consumption, the effects tended to favor active males with a limited caffeine intake. Venables et al. (2008) concluded that acute green tea extract ingestion could increase fat oxidation during moderate-intensity exercise and improve insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in young men.

The quality of available research on the effects of green tea on weight-loss was relatively abundant compared to other less popular functional foods. The database PubMed provided most of the most robust study designs on how effective catechins are in the body. However, research was relatively heterogeneous when it came to weight-loss specifically. Hursel and Westerterp (2010) conducted a prospective cohort study, which falls into the highest tier evidence pyramid. They tested and observed subjects for four weeks using a low energy diet and a randomized group to take an EGCG-caffeine mixture for 12-13 weeks. Their forest plot portrayed a slight favor towards the EGCG-caffeine mixture on bodyweight-loss and weight-maintenance after a period of initial weight-loss. Another high-quality study design conducted by Venables et al. (2008) used a crossover study design. The participants acted as their control group when determining the fat oxidation rate in the body with and without a daily dosage of catechins. This study design fell in the middle and top end of the evidence pyramid. The average fat was 17% higher after ingestion of green tea extract than with the placebo. An issue that may occur with crossover studies is the amount of time spent separating the two experiments to ensure a false positive or negative. In this case, the researchers took two weeks to flush the first experiment, which the authors claimed was sufficient to produce a limited error.

On the contrary, there was opposing evidence that green tea had any significant effect on weight-maintenance provided by Kovacs et al. (2004), using a randomized, parallel, placebo-controlled study design, which looked into whether green tea affected weight-maintenance after weight-loss. They found that body-weight gain was not significantly different between the green tea and the placebo group, as they both crossed the line of no difference on the statistical forest plot. An issue that could occur with study design is whether or not they were monitoring the participant's diets after the weight-loss to make sure it is not drastically different from what it was previously, to prevent it from becoming a confounding variable.

With green tea as a dietary supplement, there are a few risks that come with excessive consumption. There have been 130 cases of liver damage linked to excessive use of dietary supplements, so it is crucial to be aware of the DRI when supplementing with capsules and other green tea forms. There are also cases reported about excessive caffeine consumption, which has caused symptoms such as muscle tremors, palpations, and digestive issues. A cup of green tea typically contains anywhere from 30-50mg, and the recommended maximum daily intake is 400mg. It is essential, with any dietary supplement or functional food, to be aware of the recommendations for optimal effects and toxic effects.

Conclusion

After reviewing numerous scholarly articles, academic journals, and research analysis of the effect green tea, and more specifically catechins, have on weight-loss and weight-maintenance, the evidence strongly suggests that there is at least a slight degree to which catechins can support weight-loss and maintenance in the body through physiological mechanisms that induce fat oxidation in the body. Based on the research I have thoroughly studied, I would recommend for anyone attempting to lose or maintain their weight naturopathically and in unison with a regular exercise regime to utilize green tea extract before a workout in order to efficiently release more triglycerides and free fatty acids into the blood to be used for energy. The effect green tea itself has on weight-loss is likely to be very small, but when combined with other healthy strategies such as exercising, a high-vegetable diet, and good sleep, it may enhance the positive results. I would also advise regular green tea consumption because many other green tea benefits will support other crucial aspects of health. These benefits include antioxidants reducing oxidative stress, reducing inflammation, and reducing blood lipid levels. With the reduction of oxidative damage, which is a significant contributor to cancers, antioxidants can have a reparative effect on cells that protect them from dangerous replication. Also, by reducing blood lipid level, there is a reduction in the risk of a heart attack because, with fewer lipids in the blood, there is lower blood pressure. Lastly, green tea increases the blood's antioxidant capacity, which protects low-density lipoproteins from being oxidized, which is one of the mechanisms that cause heart disease. Overall there is strong evidence to support that green tea can be useful in aiding weight-loss and weight-maintenance and other benefits from the antioxidants working in the body that it is a highly beneficial functional food for the general population.

References

Basu, A., Betts, N. M., Mulugeta, A., Tong, C., Newman, E., & Lyons, T. J. (2013). Green tea supplementation increases glutathione and plasma antioxidant capacity in adults with metabolic syndrome. Nutrition research (New York, N.Y.), 33(3), 180–187.

Diepvens, K., Kovaks, E. M. R., & Vogels, N. (n.d.). Physiology & Behavior, 87(1), 185–191. URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2005.09.013

Hursel, R., & Westerterp-Plantenga, M. S. (2010). Thermogenic ingredients and body weight regulation. International Journal of Obesity, 34(4), 659–669. doi: 10.1038/ijo.2009.299

Jurgens, T., & Whelan, A. M. (2014). Can green tea preparations help with weight loss? Canadian Pharmacists Journal / Revue Des Pharmaciens Du Canada, 147(3), 159–160. doi: 10.1177/1715163514528668

Kovacs, E., Lejeune, M., Nijs, I., & Westerterp-Plantenga, M. (2004). Effects of green tea on weight maintenance after body-weight loss. British Journal of Nutrition, 91(3), 431-437. doi:10.1079/BJN20041061

Levy, Y., Narotzki, B., & Reznick, A. Z. (2017). Green tea, weight loss and physical activity. Clinical Nutrition, 36(1), 315. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2016.11.001

Ota, N., Soga, S., Shimotoyodome, A., Haramizu, S., Inaba, M., Murase, T., & Tokimitsu, I. (2005). Effects of Combination of Regular Exercise and Tea Catechins Intake on Energy Expenditure in Humans. Journal Of Health Science, 51(2), 233–236. doi: 10.1248/jhs.51.233

Venables, M. C., Hulston, C. J., Cox, H. R., & Jeukendrup, A. E. (2008). Green tea extract ingestion, fat oxidation, and glucose tolerance in healthy humans. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 87(3), 778–784. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/87.3.778

0 notes