Tea Blog

With so many extravagant claims for weight loss products, a good rule of thumb to abide by is buyer beware. Keeping that in mind, however, there is some evidence indicating that tea might play a role in weight loss.

If you want to lose weight, one of the best ways you can use tea to help is by using it as a substitute for sweetened beverages. Freshly brewed tea without milk or sweetener has no calories and modest amounts of various additives rarely contribute more than a small amount of calories. On the other hand, a 16-ounce Starbucks Frappucino might contain up to 470 calories while eight ounces of Coca-Cola contains 97 calories.

There are also studies that indicate that tea itself might play a role in weight loss. A 2005 study examined 35 Japanese men over a period of three months. Some were given bottled oolong tea with a green tea extract that contained 690 milligrams of catechins and some were given oolong tea containing 22 milligrams of catechins. Diets were similar, but the first group lost an average of 5.3 pounds, in comparison to the latter’s 2.9 pounds. The men who were given higher doses of catechins also experienced greater decreases in body mass index, waist size, total body fat and undesirable LDL cholesterol.

In research conducted at the University of Connecticut over six weeks, lean and obese mice were fed green tea extract (GTE), in varying amounts. The study found that the extract might aid in warding off fatty liver disease. GTE might also aid in weight loss as well as lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

A study from 1999 investigated whether green tea extract might increase energy expenditure and fat oxidation in humans. Another study, results of which were also published in 1999, examined possible anti-obesity actions of oolong tea. A study from 2000 measured the effectiveness of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) derived from green tea leaves in reducing appetite and contributing to weight loss in rats.

Visit William’s blog, Tea Guy Speaks, for more information on all things tea!