Tea is one of the timeless beverages taken by people all around the world. It can be the blend of many ingredients you find in your kitchen, many herbal teas provide a lot of benefits for our health. But what if we said that you could reduce some extra pounds just by sipping this tasty beverage? Surprised!?
Under the marketing ploy of “slimming tea,” the tea culture is still present in the diet sector. To get the advantages, you don’t need pricey tea leaves, though.
Tea can easily be added to your routine diet plan as a part of a perfect morning or evening snack. However, tea for weight loss is a very subjective topic.
Best Teas for Losing Weight
Black tea
Black tea is potent. It has been associated with weight loss in many research papers as it contains flavones.
According to a study, as tea has a high amount of flavonoids, it reduces body mass index compared to teas with lower flavonoid levels. Consequently, when we brew black tea leaves in water, it creates an ideal beverage to aid in weight management.
Green tea
Green tea is the drink which is the first one most people speak of when they talk about weight loss beverages. According to a study, those who regularly took 2 cups of green tea every day had lower body fat percentages than those who didn’t. It is regarded as the most successful tea for losing weight. Green tea has a function compound catechins it helps you to boost metabolism and burns fat.
White tea
White tea is a relatively lesser known name in the market. Catechins in white tea are similar to those in green tea, which makes it ideal for losing weight. White tea extract helps break down existing fat cells and discourages the growth of new ones. Moreover, it is one of the least processed herbal teas out there on the market. It means that it has the most fat burning properties.
Oolong tea
Traditionally, oolong tea is a Chinese tea that has undergone some oxidation and is milder than black tea but stronger than green tea. It tastes delicious and has an amazing aroma. Oolong tea increases fat burning and metabolism, which both aid in losing weight.
According to a clinical study, drinking oolong tea for lunch and breakfast for 2 straight weeks promoted a 20% rise in fat burning after meals. Furthermore, oolong tea has a high amount of antioxidants and fat reducing properties, which are necessary for losing weight.
Hibiscus tea
Hibiscus tea gives you access to certain plant chemicals that can promote fat burning, and lipid metabolism genes are under control. If you’re not a fan of drinking green tea, try hibiscus tea. For the best results one should drink 3 to 4 cups of hibiscus tea in a day without sugar, just 30 minutes before your major meals. If physical workouts and a healthy diet are coupled, you can anticipate more successful weight loss. In fact, hibiscus extract might also help you maintain your weight.
Pu-Erh Tea
Pu-Erh Tea is another traditional Chinese tea. Pu-Erh Tea prevents your body from making more fats. The best time to consume Pu-Erh tea is after a meal. You can keep up to 1 hour of gap. This way, you can prevent yourself from consuming too many hard to digest fats. Hence, preventing excess fat from the body. The tricky part here is that if you take this tea at the wrong time, it can make you gain weight. When you drink Pu-erh tea without additional sugars or additives, you may noticeably lose weight.
Is drinking tea for weight loss a great idea?
Different kinds of teas have some fat burning functions. But the question is, is that enough for you to lose weight? Maybe not, In particular among young people, herbal tea has emerged as a simple method of weight loss.
But the truth is that drinking only herbal tea without any other measures will not help you reduce weight. It does inadvertently aid with weight loss. We cannot say that adding tea to your diet will lead to weight loss. You need to change your lifestyle in order to lose weight.
You can engage in physical activity for more than two hours each day. In addition, always consume a diet high in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and other energy-releasing foods.
When should you drink tea?
You can add tea as a part of your morning and evening snacks every day. For best results, you can start the practice of drinking herbal tea before and after your workout sessions. Green tea shouldn’t be consumed at night since the caffeine it contains enhances alertness, and makes it difficult for people to fall asleep. The same holds true for black tea, oolong tea, white tea, and yellow tea. You should also consider the bathroom breaks that you might have to take due to the high liquid intake around bedtime. To prevent potential sleep problems, some people choose to take herbal tea two hours right before bedtime. It might not, however, be useful to everyone.
Morning tea: the first hour after getting up should not be your tea time. Moreover, you should not drink tea on an empty stomach, as it can lead to gastrointestinal distress.
Unfortunately, it is a common practice in Indian households to start off the day with “kadak milk tea.” Never begin your day with caffeine, whether it be in tea or coffee. This practice can lead to a disturbed acid and alkaline levels in the stomach. It may even keep you troubled, the entire day. If you have been diagnosed with anemia, try to refrain from taking tea too close to your meals, as it interferes with the absorption of iron.
If you are struggling with liver health issues, then drinking tea after the meal is good for you. But again, it should not be too close to the meal timing. Keep a period of time between meals so that the food can be digested. A minimum of an hour must pass between eating a meal and drinking tea. Contrary to conventional milk tea, herbal teas are often safe to have right after a meal.
Weight loss tea recipe
Black tea
- Serving size: 1 person
- Time to prepare: 10 minutes
- Ingredients
- Water: 1 cup
- Black tea: 1 tsp
- Lemon: ½ tsp
Preparation
- In water add black tea leaves and boil
- Simmer it for about 8 to 10 minutes after a brief period of brewing.
- Strain the liquid in the cup. Now, add lemon.
- We would not recommend any sugar to be added to avoid any extra calories.
Things to Keep in Mind
There are many slimming teas available in the market nowadays which claim weight loss. Consumption of these things can really harm your health. Make sure to be careful with the food choices you make.
Traditional tea brands could contain sweeteners and hidden ingredients. Too much tea consumption can prove harmful. One must only take a moderate amount. Up to 4 cups of tea is considered moderate, more than that is too high amount of tea. Although one cant take around 6 to 7 cups of green tea in a day without any harmful effects.
Conclusion
It is important to know when you should and should not take the tea, as it can make tremendous changes in your sleep quality and your morning mood. Tea should be had after meals, not before. Of course, consuming green tea before exercising can be beneficial.
Drinking tea without sugar will promote weight loss when you are on a weight loss journey. But, only taking tea without taking any other measures for weight loss will not lead to any significant changes. Combine those herbal drinks that burn fat with a nutritious diet and an active lifestyle.
Tea helps you hydrate yourself. It is a low calorie and healthy beverage option for your workout regime. That is when you skip adding milk and sugar. Green tea, oolong tea, white tea, black tea, hibiscus tea, as well as Pu-erh tea are some of the best types of tea for weight loss.
But what we need to understand is that tea is not a magic potion that will cause weight loss. To conclude, a healthy diet and regular fitness routine has to be followed along with a regular tea consumption for best results.
