Losing weight is often not an easy task, although the steps are clear: combine a balanced diet with physical exercise. There are no secrets, but it is true that there are some elements that can help you be more effective in the process.
Tea is a healthy drink, with few calories and contains chemical compounds that can help your body to eliminate fat in different ways. Therefore, it can be a good complement to your diet and a good choice if you are looking for a tasty way to substitute less suitable drinks for weight loss.
An aid for your diet: slimming teas
All “true” teas are made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis, the tea plant. Although they therefore share some properties, the fact that they go through different manufacturing processes influences how each of them affects our body.
Here are some of the best options to help you achieve your weight loss goal.
Green Tea
Green tea is probably the best known to help supplement weight loss diets. Its popularity is also related to the fact that it is the tea on which the greatest number of scientific studies have been carried out.
Green tea is one of the least oxidized varieties of tea. This means that, after processing, it still contains an important part of the plant’s natural antioxidants, which play an important role in its health properties.
A study conducted on a group of people suffering from obesity indicated that regular consumption of green tea could have a moderate effect on weight loss and could be used for its subsequent maintenance. This effect would be attributable to increased energy expenditure and fat oxidation.
In this way, the consumption of green tea would increase the metabolism, improving the work of our body when it comes to burning calories and also the activity of insulin.
The caffeine present in green tea plays an important role in thermogenesis, the process that the human body follows to produce heat from fats.
As a supplement to the diet, it is recommended to drink 2 or 3 cups of green tea a day. All varieties of tea include a very low calorie content, which would help fill us up and delay the need for food intake. Of course, only drinking green tea will not give you the body you have always dreamed of, you must accompany its consumption with regular exercise and changes in your eating habits.
White tea
White tea is sometimes described as the most natural tea, from the perspective that its manufacturing process is the least complicated and aggressive.
To obtain white tea, shoots of the Camellia sinensis plant are harvested and minimally processed. In this way, a tea with the highest concentration of antioxidants is obtained. Yes, white tea has more antioxidants than green.
The flavor of white tea is milder than that of green tea, with floral or fruity hints. Although at this time white tea has begun to become popular for its interesting properties, it is still a little-known tea.
An investigation indicated that since white tea is the least processed of the teas, it would have a greater amount of polyphenols and therefore, it would be the most suitable to accompany weight loss. In fact, the results suggested that regular consumption of white tea would speed up metabolism by 5% by inhibiting fat creation (adipogenesis) and stimulating lipid mobilization.
Black tea
Black tea is an infusion widely used both to lose weight and to lower stress levels and stimulate the brain. In fact, traditional Indian medicine maintains that it has a diuretic, satiating, stimulating and thermogenic action.
The alkaloid compounds of caffeine and theine would be the cause of that thermogenic power that would allow us to eliminate extra fat from our body. In addition to this, its diuretic function would allow excess fluids to drain, minimizing their retention in the body.
After hundreds of years in its use as a slimming tea, different investigations began to be carried out to prove the aforementioned properties.
Some studies have indicated that black tea is rich in polyphenols, substances that are associated with the reduction of oxidative stress (cell deterioration process caused by free radicals). Furthermore, polyphenols would inhibit lipid digestion and absorption and promote metabolism.
In general, it is recommended to drink two cups of black tea a day (of course, without adding sugar), in addition to eating a healthy diet and taking regular physical exercise.
Oolong tea
The so-called “blue tea” is highly appreciated for its properties, among which its contribution of antioxidants stands out. The flavor of oolong can be very varied due to its production process, in which the leaves are oxidized in a very different way. The flavors can be herbaceous like those of green tea or more earthy and close to those of black tea.
The catechins present in Oolong tea have antioxidant properties that would serve to delay premature aging. In China, where it originates from, it is often used as a diuretic, digestive, astringent and fat burner.
This last property was verified in a pilot study where the participants consumed Oolong tea on a daily basis. At the end of the research, fat oxidation was found to be 12% higher when the tea was consumed.
Pu-erh tea
This rare variety of red tea was drunk by Chinese royalty and, even today, it continues to be special and valued due to its long fermentation process, which can last for years.
Its properties would prevent respiratory infections, stimulate metabolism and digestion and help lose weight. In this regard, a study in animals indicated that having a high gallic acid content, it could generate effects against obesity, being useful as an accompaniment in diets to lose weight.
Rooibos
Well, actually rooibos is not a tea, but an infusion. The famous theine-free tea comes from the Aspalathus linearis plant and is typical of South Africa. Throughout history, it has been used to treat various ailments such as stress, high blood pressure, joint pain, arthritis, osteoporosis and infant colic, among others.
Rooibos is also a drink rich in antioxidants. An animal study indicated that the polyphenols present in this infusion would inhibit oxidative stress and also help with weight loss.
Help your diet with some tea
What do you think of these slimming teas? Include them in your diet as a complement to healthy eating habits and regular exercise. You will see how soon you will get results!