Tea is an aromatic beverage commonly prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis, an evergreen shrub native to Asia. After water, it is the most widely consumed drink in the world.
But did you know that some teas can help you shed pounds? Find out below how each teas can play a role in helping you slim your waistline and its other health benefits it may bring to your body.
Green tea
Several studies have shown that the caffeine and flavonoids in green tea can help elevate your metabolic rate, improve insulin activity and increase fat oxidation. You don’t need to drink a lot of green tea for weight loss; benefits have been found by drinking just 2.5 cups a day. Some varieties are better for weight loss than others. Consider the matcha green tea. This rich green tea is an ideal source of antioxidants and nutrients because the whole leaf is ground and consumed as part of the beverage (compared to other green teas where the leaves are steeped and then you consume the tea). Read more about green tea’s benefits.
Black tea
Black tea is the most popular one, accounting for about 84 percent of all tea consumed. The tea contains polyphenols, which are plant compounds that may be responsible for blocking fat absorption. Studies have also found that drinking a cup of black tea per day improves cardiovascular function.
Mint tea
When you inhale certain scents, you help suppress your appetite. Fill a big teacup with peppermint tea to possibly help combat cravings and hunger, and sniff your way to a skinnier you. The minty and fresh scent is a delicious and easy way to quash hunger.
Oolong tea
This light, floral tea has a Chinese name meaning “black dragon.” It offers a smooth but bold taste due to its partially oxidized leaves (black teas are fully oxidized). It’s loaded with catechins that boost your body’s ability to metabolize fats. And that promotes weight loss. Since it’s brimming with the antioxidant polymerized polyphenol, oolong tea inhibits the body’s ability to absorb fat. The beverage is also known to help fight high blood pressure.
Rooibos tea
This South African tea boasts aspalathin, a compound shown to reduce stress hormones that trigger fat storage and hunger. The compound is also linked to helping reduce health conditions like cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
White tea
Because white tea is dried naturally (often in sunlight), it’s one of the richest and least processed teas. Drink this tea, which boasts a smooth and delicate flavor, to help prevent the formation of new fat cells. It also contains L-theanine, which helps decrease stress while promoting concentration.
Pu-erh tea
This fermented black Chinese tea offers a light, slightly earth and smooth taste and may shrink the size of your fat cells, literally, thanks to an enzyme-activating ingredient. It also contains a lot of gallic acid, which may help inhibit the body’s absorption of fat.
Bilberry tea
Grab a cup of this non caffeinated tea in the evening. Because it tastes naturally sweet, you’ll hopefully stay away from the carton of ice cream in the freezer. Plus, antioxidant-loaded bilberries help reduce blood sugar levels.
Lemon tea
Lemon tea contains d-limonene, a compound found in citrus rind oil that’s been used for diuretic purposes since ancient times. And that d-limonene can help fight belly bloat due to water retention.
