Have a Cup of Tea With Your Diet

Ah, a cup of tea in the morning and your on the way to weight loss. It has long been known that some teas have powerful health benefits and so it comes naturally that they would be studied for weight loss effects.

There has recently been some buzz about teas that can help with weight loss but which teas really work and why? Are they really everything they are said to be? That’s what I set to find out. My findings are listed below for three of the most popular diet teas on the market today:

Wulong Tea:

Also spelled oolong, this tea has recently become famous for dieters because of endorsements from talk show hosts Oprah Winfrey and Rachel Ray. Researchers say that two cups of wulong per day can boost your metabolism and block the absorption of some fat from foods.

How does wulong tea work? One of its active ingredients, polyphenol, is reported to activate certain enzymes that help dissolve triglycerides and drinking the tea regularly can enhance your metabolism for fat. It also contains some unique antioxidants, like catechin, which can help lower your cholesterol.

Green Tea:

Green tea gives a slight boost to your metabolism, which has been sited to have the potential to help you burn approximately 80 extra calories per day. 80 calories isn’t a whole lot but think of it in the long term— that’s 8 lbs per year! The other weight loss benefit with green tea is its ability to reduce cravings.

However, many claims about Green Tea’s effect on weight loss have not been backed by solid research. In fact, it has been claimed that it can block up to 40 percent of the body’s fat absorption, a claim that the FTC says is a “Big Fat Lie” in any product. Watch out for companies who try to sell Green Tea as a weight loss cure all.

Green tea does contain caffeine, but its weight loss benefits are not due to the caffeine content. They are actually caused by the active ingredients polyphenol and catechin, which are also contained in wulong and some other teas. The recommended dose is one cup per day in the morning.

Ginseng Tea:

Keep in mind when choosing a tea of the potential negative effects some types may have on your health. It may make you lose weight, but possible risks of caffeine may weigh on your overall decision.

For the more casual dieter, ginseng is known as a natural stamina booster. It doesn’t suppress appetite or fight fat directly the way some other teas are reported to do, but it can give you an extra bit of energy so you can get more out of exercise. Many diet pills offer caffeine and other unhealthy energy boosting stimulant— Ginseng Tea may be a healthier alternative to those.

Discover a new way to diet with teas that can refresh your spirit in the mornings and keep you feeling energized all day. This can be a simple change to your daily routine with a large impact on how you feel overall. While it is not the answer to weight loss, it sure can be an enjoyable part of it. Cheers!