The Ultimate Weight Loss Tea – Shed Pounds and Feel Great
Mehak Shah
May 30, 2023
Weight Loss
We Indians love tea. It’s a part of our daily lives. Be it the delicious masala tea or the healthy green tea, each has its own fan base. For many people, it is no less than a necessity. For some, it’s an excuse to take a break during the day while some use it as fuel to keep them working.
More recently, our beloved teas have come out to be a weight loss beverage. But is there truth in this claim? Let’s find out!
Different types of tea show characteristics of fat-burning properties. However, drinking tea alone won’t lead to weight loss. Tea probably works best for any weight loss plan when you pair it with adequate exercise and a healthy diet.
6 Tea For Weight Loss
Listed below are a few teas that may assist you in your weight loss journey.
1. Green Tea
It is considered the most effective weight-loss tea. A study shows that people who consistently drank two cups of green tea daily delivered a lower body fat percentage than non-regular green tea drinkers.
Studies suggest that caffeine and catechins in green tea can boost metabolism and encourage fat loss, resulting in modest weight loss. Furthermore, the antioxidants in green tea act as an appetite suppressant keeping your calorie intake low.
Read more: Does Green Tea Help Weight Loss?
2. Black Tea
One of the most potent tea varieties on the market, black tea contains a potent amount of flavonoids which makes it a fantastic beverage choice for people trying to reduce weight.Flavonoids In black tea improve your metabolism and increase fat burning capacity of your body.
Research also shows that drinking tea with high flavonoids promotes lower body mass index than those with lower flavonoids.
Read more: Black Tea for Weight Loss – A Simple Guide
3. Oolong Tea
Oolong tea is a partially oxidised, traditional Chinese tea that is milder than black tea and bolder than green tea. It has a fruity flavour and a fragrant aroma. Oolong tea enhances weight loss by speeding up metabolism and burning fats.
A clinical study shows that drinking oolong tea twice a day for two weeks straight stimulated a 20% increase in post-meal fat burn. Moreover, oolong tea has antioxidants and lipid-lowering properties essential for weight loss.
4. Hibiscus Tea
You can prepare hibiscus tea using the flowers of the hibiscus plant. It has a pleasant, tangy flavour and looks pink with a reddish hue. Drinking hibiscus tea supplies you with certain plant compounds that help boost fat elimination and regulate lipid metabolism genes.
According to Penn Medicine, hibiscus tea lowers blood pressure and fat levels and can stave off sweet cravings.
5. Pu-Erh Tea
Native to Chinese tea culture, Pu Erh tea inhibits your body from producing more fats.
The best time to drink Pu-erh tea is one hour after a meal so that it can eliminate hard-to-digest fats and excess grease from the body.
6. White Tea
White tea leaves are harvested at a younger age than green tea leaves, making them rarer as they can only be hand-picked during a few days of early spring. The catechins in white tea and green tea are comparable, making them ideal for weight loss.
Drinking white tea extract prevents the formation of new fat cells and promotes the breakdown of existing ones. Furthermore, since it is the least processed tea, white tea retains the most fat-burning properties.
Conclusion
Tea can a great addition to one’s weight loss diet. It is refreshing and can actually accelerate metabolism which helps you lose weight faster by burning fat more efficiently.
Black tea has the highest amount of caffeine and thus is one of the best options for weight loss. Green tea and white are also close contenders for a weight loss beverage given their antioxidant properties.
Hibiscus tea can a good option for people who are not a fan of tea but are looking for a hot beverage to add to their weight loss plan.
Oolong and Pu Erh are great additions to your weight loss diet as they contain a good amount of anti-oxidants and have negligible calories.
When to Drink Tea for Weight Loss
You may have a nice cup of tea in the morning and later in the evening. To obtain better results, drink a cup or two of green or black tea before the workout session.
Avoid drinking tea at night as its caffeine content stimulates a sense of alertness, making it difficult to fall asleep.
Drinking tea on an empty stomach in the morning can create an imbalance between the acidic and alkaline levels of the stomach. It may keep you troubled throughout the day. It can cause gastrointestinal distress such as nausea, acidity and restlessness.
Avoid drinking tea with meals if you’re diagnosed with anaemia as it interferes with iron absorption.
One must maintain a minimum gap of around one hour between meal and tea consumption.
Summary
It’s important to know the correct time to enjoy your cup of tea to get desired results. furthermore, knowing when to drink tea makes a difference in sleep quality and how you feel in the morning. Avoid drinking tea on an empty stomach and before bed. You shouldn’t have tea with meals as it can interfere with iron absorption and lead to anemia. However, drinking green tea before you work out can be helpful as it accelerates metabolism that in turn speeds up the fat burning process.
Masala Chai and Weight Loss
Apart from the different types of herbal and water-infused teas, India has a special masala chai which literally translates to spiced tea!
Along with the basic ingredients like sugar, milk, water and tea leaves, the combination of spices like peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, fennel and cardamom etc makes masala chai different from the standard cup of tea.
Here is the breakdown of how masala chai may help you with weight loss.
- Black pepper in masala chai is an antioxidant that contains piperine, which boosts metabolism and prevents fat accumulation.
- Cinnamon may help you manage glucose levels, leading to weight loss. Its anti-inflammatory property aids in metabolic health. A good metabolism is equivalent to efficient weight loss.
- Cardamom promotes weight loss by regulating digestion. Furthermore, its melatonin content supports the fat-burning process in our bodies.
- Fennel seeds flush the toxins and keep you feeling full for an extended period. Both these properties support the weight loss process.
3 Healthy Tea Recipe for Weight Loss
1. Green Tea with Mint and Lemon
- Serves: 1
- Preparation time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
- Water: 1 cup
- Mint leaves: 6-7
- Green tea leaves: 2 tablespoon
- Whole lime: 1
Method of Preparation
- Add water and mint leaves to a saucepan and heat the water until it boils.
- After five minutes, switch off the gas and add green tea leaves.
- Let it soak for five minutes and remove the leaves later.
- Squeeze the lemon into the tea and pour it into the cup. Drink while it’s hot.
2. Black Tea
- Serves: 1
- Preparation time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
- Water: 1 cup
- Black tea leaves: 1 teaspoon
- Lemon juice: 1/2 teaspoon
Method of Preparation
- Boil the water with a teaspoon of black tea leaves.
- Steep it for a few minutes and simmer it for around 8-10 minutes.
- Strain the black tea into a cup and add lemon juice. Do not add any sugars for better benefits.
3. Masala Tea
- Serves: 2 teacups
- Preparation Time: 5 mins
Ingredients:
- For chai masala:
- Cloves: 50 g
- Cardamom: 50g
- Black peppercorns: 20g
- Cinnamon: 2 sticks / 30 g
- Dried ginger: 50g
- Nutmeg: 5g
- Grind this masala once and keep it aside use 1tsp for 1 tea cup.
For tea:
- water: 200 ml
- warm milk: 150ml
- tea masala: 2 tsp/10g
- black tea: 1 tbsp/15g
- Honey: 1 tbsp
Method of Preparation:
- 1. In a saucepan boil water and add chia masala. Let it boil for 1 min
- 2. Now add black tea and let it steep for 2 to 3 mins.
- 3. Add warm milk
- 4. Serve
Things to Remember
- Excess consumption of teas can trigger nausea, constipation, and diarrhoea. Try to limit your tea intake to a maximum of 3-4 cups a day.
- Conventional tea brands may have hidden additives and added sugars that defeat the purpose of weight loss. Thus, always read the labels carefully before buying tea leaves.
HealthifyMe Suggestion
Tea is a delicacy taken by almost all Indian households. It is quick to make and goes well with your morning and evening snacks. All varieties of herbal teas are healthy and have their own health benefits when taken in the right quantity. But how you prepare it makes a huge difference in holding its antioxidant properties. You can explore various teas, and include them into your everyday refreshments. But remember to keep it simple.
Conclusion
Developing the habit of enjoying herbal teas, minus any sweetener or sugar will assist you in the weight loss journey. However, just drinking tea alone is not enough for weight loss. Pair fat-burning herbal teas with an active lifestyle and healthy diet to see considerable results.
Tea can be a hydrating, low calorie, and healthy beverage option for workout routines if you skip the sugar and milk.
Some of the best teas for weight loss are green tea, black tea, white tea, oolong tea, hibiscus tea, and Pu-erh tea. However, tea is not a magical elixir for weight loss. In conclusion, a balanced diet, exercise, and herbal tea make a great weight loss plan.
Disclaimer: The purpose of this article is just to disperse knowledge and raise awareness. It does not intend to replace medical advice from professionals.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q. Which tea is best for weight loss?
A. Green tea is considered the most effective for weight loss. It is rich in an antioxidant called catechins. Catechins control blood pressure, help control weight loss and improve brain health. In addition, it boosts your metabolism and helps burn more fat in the body.
Q. Which tea makes you lose belly fat fast?
A. Herbal teas are an excellent way to lose weight. Green tea and Pu-erh tea (Chinese black tea) are some of the best herbal teas to reduce belly fat. Furthermore, green tea helps burn 3-4% more calories, even at rest, making it one of the best belly fat reducing teas. At the same time, Pu-Erh tea inhibits your body from producing more fats and increases your metabolism.
Q. Can drinking tea help you lose weight?
A. Drinking tea can help you shed those extra kilos when combined with a healthy diet and exercise. Some herbal teas have fat-burning properties. In addition, green tea increases your metabolism and helps detox your body. However, drinking tea alone cannot lead to weight loss. If you want to shed your extra kilos, a healthy diet and exercise are the prerequisites.
Q. What is the healthiest tea to drink daily?
A. Green tea is known to be the healthiest tea you can drink daily. It supports weight loss by boosting our body’s metabolism and burning body fat. It acts as a detox for the body and is an excellent source of antioxidants. Furthermore, it is less processed than other teas. However, you cannot ignore the benefits of different tea variants like chamomile tea, white tea and black tea, which also have a lot of health benefits.
Q. Does tea at night help lose weight?
A. Drinking some herbal teas before going to bed can help you lose weight and help you sleep better. Lack of sleep can disturb the metabolism, the breakdown of food in the body. Therefore, it can lead to weight gain over time. Tea like chamomile tea is known for its relaxing properties. However, you should also avoid adding sugar to your bedtime tea because sugar can make you feel more energised and awake and add to your calorie consumption.
Q. What is the best tea to drink before bed for weight loss?
A. Several studies suggest that drinking two cups of oolong tea before going to bed can help you burn your body fat while you’re asleep. Although it contains some caffeine, it is not a sleep disruptor. Instead, it increases the breakdown of fat in the body.
Reference Link
- A green tea extract high in catechins reduces body fat and cardiovascular risks in humans: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17557985/
- The effects of green tea on weight loss and weight maintenance: a meta-analysis: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19597519/
- Subacute Ingestion of Caffeine and Oolong Tea Increases Fat Oxidation without Affecting Energy Expenditure and Sleep Architecture: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blinded Cross-Over Trial: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7760339/
- The Hidden Health Benefits of Tea: https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/health-and-wellness/2019/december/health-benefits-of-tea
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