5 teas that help break down fat easier and burn calories faster

Metabolism can be accelerated with the help of herbal teas, and thus the pounds are in order.

Teas contain herbal compounds called Katehini, which, according to research, can help speed up metabolism. Katehini break down fats faster and stimulate calorie burning. Although more research is needed, it can still be said that some of the teas really have the potential to fight excess weight.

Teas reduce the risk of many diseases

Due to the taste, medicinal properties, but also tradition, teas are highly positioned in many countries in terms of consumption, along with water and coffee. A review of several studies, published in 2019 in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, showed that drinking two or three cups a day is associated with a lower risk of diseases of the cardiovascular system. In addition, type 2 diabetes and stroke. Although there are still doubts, the positive effects of tea consumption on weight control are primarily related to the lower amount of calories. Compared to other drinks, it is indisputable.

How teas can help in the weight loss process

If the drinks you usually drink are high in calories, when they are replaced by teas, there will certainly be weight loss to some extent. Katehini, which contains tea, has been proven to break down fat faster and stimulate calorie burning. The tea contains a combination of four katehini – epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Epigallocatechin gallate is the most common, and is considered to have the most positive properties that have a beneficial effect on health.

Green tea

Most conversations about teas and their effects on weight loss usually start with green tea, and for good reason. Namely, although the studies that have been done so far are limited, most of them are about the positive effects of green tea. A survey of about 1,200 men and women in Taiwan found that those who drank two cups of green tea a day for more than 10 years had a lower percentage of body fat and lower waist circumference than those who did not consume it.

Other research draws attention to an even more direct connection. In one small laboratory study, 10 healthy men burned 63.5 to 200 calories in 24 hours after taking a supplement of green tea extract three times a day. There was no similar fat burning in the days when they took the placebo. It has been suggested that the effects of burning calories from green tea may be a combination of EGCG and caffeine. Those combined, as stated in some studies, directly target fat cells.

Black tea

When harvested, black tea leaves oxidize. This process enhances the action of polyphenols and teaflavin, and is called fermentation. It is also responsible for the beneficial effect of fat burning. There is a well-known study in which men and women, who drank three cups of black tea powder a day, gained less weight and reduced waist circumference after three months of consumption, compared to those who did not.

Polyphenols also affect the better intestinal flora. In a study published in September 2017 in the European Journal of Nutrition, the researchers fed a group of obese mice with foods high in fat and sugar. Black tea extracts were added to it. After four weeks, the animals in this reference group weighed the same weight as the group of mice fed low-fat foods. When intestinal samples were taken, it was discovered that the group that had contact with black tea had fewer bad intestinal bacteria, which were associated with obesity. Scientists are optimistic, and expect more research on humans.

White tea

This type of tea is the least tested of all teas, due to its light, delicate taste. Minimal processing also means that white tea contains a large amount of anti-inflammatory antioxidants and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which burns fat. There are allegations from researchers from laboratory studies that white tea accelerates the breakdown of fat cells and blocks the creation of new ones.

The advantage of white tea is, with a mild taste and pleasant aroma, a lower caffeine content compared to green tea. It is full of amino acids, and antioxidants from it help fight free radicals. In addition, they raise immunity and help fight colds and infections, strengthen blood vessels by preventing the deposition of fat in them. Some studies have shown that white tea has more antioxidants than green tea.

Red Dragon (Oolong tea)

Traditional Chinese Oolong tea is somewhere “in the middle”, if we talk about the taste – it is sharper than green, and milder than black tea. Along with catechins and teaflavins, it also contains caffeine, which has been proven to be able to affect the burning of fat deposits. Therefore, the results of a study published in the journal Nutrients, which found that Oolong tea extract helps increase fat burning in mice, were not surprising. And a smaller study with 12 participants, published in the same journal in December 2020, found that men who were not obese and who drank Oolong tea for breakfast and lunch had 20 percent more fat burning after a meal.

The effects of burning fat with the consumption of “Red Dragon” are attributed to lipids. Another study showed that drinking four cups of this tea a day helps adults who are obese in the fight against weight gain. As many as 70 percent of them had positive effects in terms of losing weight after a certain period of tea consumption.

Hibiscus

Hibiscus extract is effective in preventing high blood pressure and high cholesterol, according to certain studies. Also, this popular tea can help maintain weight at a satisfactory level. In one study, obese adults who consumed hibiscus extract for 12 weeks had a reduction in body weight and body mass index, lower body fat, and reduced hip and waist circumference compared with the control group. Researchers have attributed these benefits to beneficial plant compounds in hibiscus extract. Unfortunately, current research is limited to hibiscus extract only.

Teas can help, but they are not omnipotent

Finally, scientists remind that there is no magic elixir for weight loss. Consuming tea can help improve hydration and speed up metabolism. But for healthy weight loss, you need to change your diet and lifestyle.