With another wave of newly infected, many are looking down the barrel of another lockdown. As if last winter’s lockdown weren’t stressful enough. In times of duress, many people reach for food to help them cope. When feeling the quarantine blues, it is easy to want to reach for some tasty comfort food or snacks while snuggled in bed. This lifestyle of mindless snacking to beat the blues can easily lead to weight gain. In the search of an elixir to make the weight loss journey shorter, many people have been wondering about the effects of drinking green tea for weight loss.
When it comes to the question of what to eat or drink to lose weight fast, there is no easy fix.
Remember, there are plenty of wealthy people with weight issues, and if there was a magic pill, they would have gotten it by now.
Oprah recommended green tea for weight loss in 2004 and has her own “Oprah Green Tea Diet”. The way this diet works though, as Oprah explains “you simply substitute other sugar and soda beverages with green tea”. Consuming 3-5 cups of green tea per day helps to suppress appetite and adds to the weight loss process.
I am not obese, but like many, I’ve always struggled to maintain my ideal weight. I’ve tried many rigorous diets, and throughout the process, I’ve noticed that the vicious cycle repeats itself. Once the diet was over, I’d gorge myself with all the delicious food I was craving after a long period of abstinence. Naturally and very quickly I’d end up with even more pounds than prior to the diet.
It isn’t a magic elixir. There isn’t any secret about consuming green tea that makes people lose weight.
Research shows that green tea has a slight benefit to weight loss. However, the real magic happens when you replace all daily beverages, especially soda and sugary ones with a cup of green tea that induces weight loss. Furthermore, green tea is a natural diuretic and helps with the reduction of water retention in the body.
My favorite kind of green tea is the Tie Guanyin variety of Oolong tea (technically it is between green and black tea). I absolutely recommend it. I’ve been drinking it for over ten years and it has helped me maintain weight.
Read my post on Oolong Tea Benefits and why it is called the In-Between Green and Black Tea
Oolong Tea Benefits: In Between Green and Black Tea
Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. As a participant in the Amazon Associate Program, I earn from qualifying purchases. This means If you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.
Let’s look into how green tea helps you lose weight.
Table of Contents
What Does Green Tea Do for Weight Loss?
Green Tea contains the highest amount of flavonoids compared to other teas, called catechins. Catechins are essentially antioxidants, that are responsible for many of the green tea health benefits, including weight loss.
Furthermore, green tea contains caffeine, which easily bonds with catechins and creates a very powerful combination. This powerful “duo” not only boosts metabolism but also increases the body’s energy levels by helping it burn more calories and thus break down the excess of fat. In this way, drinking green tea has a direct impact on weight loss.
Research is increasingly finding that consuming green tea regularly favorably alters gut microbes by stimulating the growth of good gut bacteria. In this way it helps offset the negative gut bacteria, known as “leaky gut” triggered by obesity, thus leading to weight loss.
Although it is the catechins found in green tea that have been linked to lowering the risk of obesity, however, further clinical trials are required.
Other Health Benefits of Green Tea
Weight loss is not the only benefit that results from drinking green tea.
Green tea is rich in antioxidants. Their role is to neutralize the free radicals floating in the body, released as a result of the body processes. It is this function that helps to prevent many serious diseases and bodily conditions, such as:
Relief from Stress and Anxiety:
High in L-theanine, an amino acid that might reduce anxiety and stress, sipping on green tea has a calming effect. Also it can help to slow down and relax.
Mental Focus and Concentration:
Green tea contains high amounts of a catechin known as EGCG, which is supposed to be very beneficial for memory.
Helps Reduce the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease:
Drinking green tea protects blood vessels from damage that could result in blockages and thus permanent damage to the heart. By unblocking blood vessels, it brings reduction in hypertension and cholesterol levels.
Prevents Diabetes:
Thanks to its high levels of powerful antioxidants, green tea might have an impact on lowering the risk of high blood sugar
Wards Off Cancer:
The high level of antioxidants found in green tea helps to neutralize the free radicals floating in the body, which are released as a result of the body’s chemical processes
Dental Health:
Green tea acts as a natural breath freshener. The polyphenols found in green tea inhibit bacterial growth. Also they prevent the plaque from sticking to the teeth, thus reducing the risk of tooth decay.
Further benefits of green tea include fighting bacterial infections, liver damage, as well as improved skin appearance.
Which Kind of Green Tea is Best for Weight Loss?
Green tea comes in many different varieties and may be very different depending on the region the tea is grown, climate, harvesting time, and methods.
However, all tea varieties are from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. This means that no matter which variety of green tea you choose to drink, it will contain a high intake of flavonoids.
If you are used to buying the same green tea brand from your local supermarket, drinking different varieties throughout the day can make the weight loss journey even more enjoyable.
“We’re talking about a flavorful, aromatic, healthful beverage,” says Jeffrey Blumberg, Ph.D., a professor of nutrition at Tufts University. He adds, “Why not choose a different one to go with a different meal or time of day—just like wine?”
Related Reads:
Green Tea Health Benefits: Why Drink Green Tea
Matcha Green Tea: Health Benefits of Drinking Matcha
8 Best Green Teas for People Who Don’t Like Green Tea
The Best Time to Drink Green Tea for Weight Loss
There isn’t an exact time of the day that if you drink green tea that will guarantee weigh loss. However, drinking a cup of green tea at different times of the day can let us enjoy many of its benefits.
According to research, the catechins in green may inhibit the absorption of carbohydrates. So, drinking green tea during and after meals might cause reduced carb absorption and therefore slow down weigh gain.
However, do it moderately. The tannins found in green tea can lead to iron deficiency and anemia if consumed in large quantities.
On the other hand, drinking green tea between meals can suppress appetite and therefore the need to snack between meals. Think about how many calories would you be cutting down if you give up snacks to green tea, which has zero calories.
How Much Green Tea You Should Drink for Weight Loss?
According to clinical research, drinking between 2-3 cups of hot green tea daily is optimal for weight loss. However, there are other factors to consider: your natural metabolism, how long you brew your tea, and how much caffeine it contains.
Although green tea is considered generally safe to consume, be mindful of the caffeine intake if you suffer from any heart disease. High doses of caffeine can pose risk for people with high blood pressure.
When it comes to weight loss, even though there are many varieties of green tea, there aren’t significant differences between them.
For optimal weight loss though, the most important factor is to avoid using sweeteners (honey, sugar, milk or cream). They add extra calories and therefore cancel out the green tea’s weight loss potential.
In my opinion, it is not worth the extra calories. Green tea has such a natural great taste.
Plain green tea contains zero calories and is therefore a perfect addition to any weight loss diet.
Why Should You Use Loose Leaf Tea Instead of Tea Bags?
To make sure you are getting highest nutrient intake, use loose leaf green tea instead of tea bags.
Teabags are made from the low tea grades, usually the small pieces, and the tea dust. They are packaged in paper wraps, are cheap and easy to mass produce.
On the other hand, the loose-leaf tea is primarily made of whole tea leaves. Even when packaged they come unbroken. The best quality green tea leaves are the ones from the first few spring harvests. Also they cost a lot more compared to the harvests later during the year.
When steeped, the high-grade loose tea leaves release more tannins compared to low quality tea, (let alone from teabags) resulting in more flavorful tea rich in nutrients.
To get the best effect, you should consume green tea leaves fresh, right after the harvest. As time goes on the leaves can lose their freshness and aroma. While prepackaged teabags do not expire that soon, they are good to use for more than a year.
The Right Way to Prepare Green Tea for Weight Loss
When it comes to wight loss, how you brew your tea can have a significant impact on weight loss. Green tea is rich in catechins, and when stepped at an ideal water temperature, they release tannins which are associated with the health benefits of green tea.
Although it is recommended to steep green tea in boiled hot water, if the water is too hot it can have a harmful effect on the catechins. What happens is that the catechins will release too much tannins and this will make your tea taste bitter.
On the other hand, if the water temperature is not high enough, there won’t be enough tannins to provide the health benefits. So, the ideal water temperature for brewing your tea is crucial.
Boil the water only to 70 degrees, which is just about when you start seeing the small bubbles. Or boil and then leave the hot water cool down for about ten minutes before you pour it over your loose tea leaves.
Depending on your choice, use about 2-3 Tbsp of loose-leaf tea. Let it steep for about 5 minutes before you pull out the leaves.
In my next post, find out the right time to drink green tea and reap its multiple health benefits:
Best Time to Drink Green Tea for Health & Wellness
Would You Like to Get Green Tea Directly from China?
During the past 13 years I’ve spent in China, I’ve met people who own tea plantations and I order my tea from them directly.
While living in China, I learned that if you want to get a good quality tea, you’d better get it through the seller directly. Chinese people seldom buy their tea online.
If you’d like to try a good quality tea directly from China, get in touch with me and I can help you place an order through the tea farmers I usually buy tea from.
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Sources:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320540#weight-loss
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20156466/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6835862/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5093162/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19597519/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2855614/
https://www.consumerreports.org/food/the-health-benefits-of-tea/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_tea#Research_and_health_effects
This is great info! Thank you
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi great post, well researched! i though that drinking 2 cups of green tea will save my weight, ha ha. Thank you for sharing
haha, I hope so too, but it seems that the combination of drinking tea and exercise does the trick!
I love green tea but usually limit it to one cup/glass due the caffeine content- I may have to adjust my thinking!
I usually have about two cups a day and it works well. I just try not to steep the green tea for too long.
I’ve always loved tea but never realized that green tea could help with weight loss (or that it has so many other health benefits for that matter). Good to know! I’m going to have to start drinking more green tea now! Thanks for the info!