For the average American tea is just tea. It’s either hot or it’s cold, but there is much more to tea than that, with red teas, black teas, green teas, herbal teas, and white teas. In fact, tea leaves are every bit as diverse as wine grapes, from their flavor profiles to their health benefits. There are natural brews that are perfect for relieving symptoms of a variety of diseases or those that stave off hunger pangs or boost the metabolism.
It’s naturally low in calories, which assists you in reducing your total calorie intake, which is a bonus when you’re trying to lose weight. Each natural tea has its own benefits, though, that can support your weight loss journey. Let’s look at a few of the most popular natural teas.
Green Tea
Green tea is an excellent option because it helps unlock your fat cells. Drink a cup ahead of your workout for the best effects. According to a study (On The Effects Of Green Tea In Weight Loss, Hursel et al) drinking 4 cups of green tea every day and enjoying a 25-minute exercise session can boost the metabolism enough to lose an additional two pounds compared to those who don’t drink tea. It’s believed to be due to the ingredient, catechins, in green tea, which is a crusader against belly fat.
Oolong Tea
This metabolism booster means black dragon in Chinese, which doesn’t quite match its floral flavor. It also contains catechins making it the perfect choice to boost the body’s ability to break fats down. A six-week study (On The Beneficial Effects Oolong Tea For Overweight Subjects, He, et al) found that its participants lost a pound a week while regularly sipping oolong. It is also an effective calming tea.
Lemon Tea
Lemon tea is an effective bloat battler and this is down to its content of d-limonene, the compound found in the oil from the citrus rind and this has been used for thousands of years as a diuretic. It fights belly bloat by reducing water retention.
Mint Tea
Just as there are several scents that can trigger hunger, so too are there those which serve the opposite purpose. The beauty of mint tea is that it scares the munchies away. In fact, a study found that just sniffing peppermint every couple of hours contributed to a five-pound weight loss a month!
White Tea
When it comes to white tea, it does the job of stopping new fat cells before they can form. White tea is allowed to dry naturally, generally in the sun, which means that it is the least processed form of tea and the greatest tea source of antioxidants. In fact, white tea contains more than three times the polyphenols as green tea does! Therefore, while white tea breaks fat down it is also blocking the formation of new fat cells. If any tea could be given the supreme title of diet tea then it would be white tea. It is delicious whether you prefer your tea iced or hot.
Rooibos Tea
You may also know it as red bush tea and this variety is from South Africa and is grown solely in Cederberg. It is an effective choice because it contains the flavonoid Aspalathin that is good for your belly. This flavonoid reduces the stress hormones that tell your brain you’re hungry as well as those linked to fat storage. This can improve hypertension, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease!
You’ve been underestimating tea for too long, it’s just as delicious as coffee and while it may not contain the same amount of caffeine it does have its own health benefits to brag about.