Does green tea help with weight loss? The truth of green tea

How Green Tea Can Help You Lose Weight

Green tea is as famous for its potential health benefits as it is for its vibrant color.

Believe me, when I say this, the beverage has been around for millennia and has been used for medicinal purposes, hydration, in ceremonies, and even now as an assistant to your spiritual endeavors. No wonder, it’s become the second most popular drink in the world besides water.

Recently, apart from the spiritual and calming benefits, green tea has developed a reputation as a superfood and health elixir, with claims that it can improve everything. I mean talk about heart health it’s the solution, cancer? It can deal with it, and the most famous one is, green tea can help you lose extra weight. Leaving the other stuff aside, we’ll talk about the weight loss aspect this time, is it even true? Can consuming green tea actually lead to weight loss?

Well, don’t take me wrong, just drinking green tea, in general, is a healthy habit, especially if it’s a replacement for sugary drinks, says dietitian Teresa Fung, Sc.D., co-chair of the department of nutrition at Simmons University in Boston and an adjunct professor at the Harvard School of Public Health.

“Tea itself is great because it has antioxidants, you’re drinking fluids, and when we are getting our fluids from tea, hopefully, we are not getting it from soda”. Dr. Jay Lee is a member of the board of directors of the American Academy of Family Physicians. 

“Many patients do sort of sweat by it and believe that it does help with their sense of wellbeing,”.

Well, I’ve also experienced this first hand, some people who are overweight try anything and everything in their weaponry in order to shed that excess weight and some of them run to green tea as their final savior. Despite the popular belief that green tea aids the shedding of excess body weight, there is no robust scientific evidence to suggest that Green Tea usage helps reduce excess body weight in meaningful quantities when used by obese individuals. 

Despite this, due to ignorance, desperation, or as a shortcut to achieving weight loss or due to advertisements on the internet and media, Green tea is being consumed in very high quantities by some individuals who are overweight, in order to achieve weight loss. I really do not know if such overconsumption of Green tea several times a day for several weeks and months affects the body adversely in any way, and its effects on the kidney, liver, and other organs.

As a popular meme says, all that one can reduce by consuming Green tea for weight loss indication is a few pounds of Green tea in their kitchen. I just mentioned that because I found it funny, no other reason. However, don’t worry, we’ll talk scientifically, logically, and emotionally about the impact of green tea on your weight!

What is Green tea?

Well, let’s start with the basics, I won’t assume that you already know green tea, but hey if you don’t know green tea, don’t be surprised, it’s mostly green in color, tadaaa, and is made from the same plant as our beloved black tea, the Camellia Sinensis. The difference between them lies in the way they are processed. Green tea isn’t actually processed at all, it’s black tea that goes through the fermentation process, which changes the color and the flavor. 

What’s in Green tea that may help with weight loss?

Here’s the science behind the key ingredients in green tea and how they might support your weight loss goals or basically what are the benefits of drinking green tea daily:

Catechins: These polyphenols, antioxidants found in plants, are found in brewed green tea, along with cocoa and red wine. One particular compound called EGCG (Epigallocatechin-3 gallate) makes up 60-65% of the catechins in green tea. Studies have shown that EGCG can help reduce visceral fat found around your organs and support healthy blood sugar levels.

Caffeine: Green tea also contains caffeine, which works alongside catechins. Caffeine can stimulate the nervous system, temporarily increasing your metabolic rate. It also promotes the breakdown of fat by increasing the release of adrenaline. 

A typical 250ml cup of brewed green tea contains around 50-100 mg of catechins and 30-40 mg of caffeine. However, the concentration of these compounds can vary significantly based on factors like brewing time and water temperature. 

“Research suggests that caffeine and green tea catechins might work alongside catechins. Caffeine can stimulate the nervous system,” explained Dr. Agarwal. “While caffeine alone can increase energy expenditure, combining it with catechins may enhance fat burning. However, the effects can vary depending on factors like your ethnicity or your regular caffeine intake.”

How to consume green tea for weight loss

The dose of green tea supplementation researchers use for weight loss varies across studies.

For example, the 2023 meta-analysis suggests that 1,000 mg or less of green tea daily over 8 weeks or less may offer weight loss benefits. However, the 2020 review suggests that results were more significant when people consumed less than 500 mg daily for 12 weeks. Green tea comes in several varieties, but for weight loss, there are unlikely to be significant differences between them. Plain, minimally processed green teas are likely to retain the richest nutritional content.

If people want to introduce green tea to their routine, they can speak with a healthcare professional about the most suitable dose.

Does green tea lead to weight loss or reduce belly fat?

No, Fung says. It contains caffeine, which can temporarily increase the metabolic rate a little, but “it’s really it’s not going to be enough to do anything,” she explains. Green tea extracts don’t produce meaningful weight loss in adults who are overweight or obese and don’t help people maintain weight loss, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health notes.

“People think if you drink a few cups of green tea, you’ll see the fat melt away,” David Nieman, director of the Human Performance Lab at Appalachian State University, told Consumer Reports. “That’s just not going to happen.”

Is it OK to drink green tea daily?

Yes, up to eight cups per day is believed to be safe to drink, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.

The bottom line

Green tea is a popular beverage that has been used for many years due to its purported anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer effects. Some research suggests that green tea contains compounds that may help promote weight loss by enhancing fat oxidation and boosting your metabolism.

However, several other studies haven’t found any significant weight loss benefits from green tea. Consider speaking with a healthcare professional if you want to lose weight. They can help develop a dietary and exercise plan that’s best for you.