In their desire to lose weight, people may turn to the numerous kinds of diet teas. These teas claim to promote weight loss in a number of ways, including stimulating metabolism, as in Wu Yi, or acting as a laxative or diuretic, as in teas containing senna. Diet teas commonly include green or white tea and a mixture of herbs like guarana --- to act as a stimulant -- as well as ingredients like psyllium to make you feel full. Just plain green or black teas -- the focus of most current investigations -- may also be used as diet teas. Green and black teas are thought to not only promote weight loss, but to provide several health benefits. Though they may help you lose weight, the ingredients in some diet teas may have serious side effects. Consult your doctor before drinking diet teas to lose weight.
Weight Loss Effects
According to Chiropractic doctor Edward Group, diet teas claim to boost your metabolism, burn fat, suppress the appetite and flush the body of excess fluids. Green, ephedra, ma huang, oolong, senna, white, black and buckhorn are a few of the teas touted for increasing weight loss. The catechins, or flavonoids, in green tea are believed to trigger weight loss, burn calories and decrease body fat, says Group.
Several investigations appear to confirm the positive effects of green tea on weight loss. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports a January 2009 examination of the effects of green tea on weight loss maintenance. Subjects were given a mixture of green tea and caffeine, along with a high-fiber diet. Green tea, along with the other components given to participants, was shown to enhance the maintaining of weight following weight loss. Another exploration in January of 2005, which was published in the AJCN, discovered a positive correlation between the catechins--found abundantly in green tea---and the reduction of body fat in men. Healthy Japanese men with similar body mass index and waist circumference were divided into two groups. For a duration of 12 weeks, one group was given one bottle of oolong tea daily that contained green tea extracts with 22mg of catechins. BMI, body fat mass, weight and waist circumference were found to be considerably lower in the group receiving the green tea extract, in comparison to the control group.
Health Effects
Dieters that drink plain black or green teas may not only drop weight, but decrease their risk of having a heart attack or getting cancer. Black tea comes from the same plant as green tea---Camellia sinesis---and, like green tea, may help reduce weight, according to MedlinePlus. In addition to weight loss, an investigation reported by Oregon State University found that these teas decreased the risk of cardiovascular disease. An analysis of 40,530 Japanese adults revealed that five or more cups of green or black tea per day decreased mortality from heart disease by 26 percent.
Cancer may also be prevented while drinking pure green or black teas for weight loss. These teas prevented cancers, such as stomach, pancreas, lung and bladder in animal subjects, according to OSU. Though testing appears positive, further studies are needed to determine the effects of green and black teas on cardiovascular disease and cancer prevention.
Harmful Effects
Diet teas may possibly cause several undesirable side effects. Teas containing stimulants such as ephedra, ma huang, kola nut and guarana can cause nervousness, lack of sleep and headaches. Teas containing natural laxatives and diuretics, including such ingredients as senna, locust plant, angustofolia, cascara or buckhorn, can become habit forming, leading to the malfunction of intestinal muscles. Teas with laxative or diuretic effects might also lead to a loss of minerals and cause serious health problems, says Dr. Group. Abdominal cramps, nausea, breathing problems and fluctuations in body temperature have additionally been reported by those using diuretic or laxative teas to lose weight.
References
- Weight Loss and Obesity Resource Center: Weight Loss and Dieter's Tea
- Oregon State University: Linus Pauling Institute: Tea
- "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Green Tea Catechin Plus Caffeine Supplementation to a High-Protein Diet Has No Additional Effect on Body Weight Maintenance After Weight Loss; Rick Hersal, et al; January; 2009
- DietSpotlight: Diet Tea Review
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Green Tea
- "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Ingestion of a Tea Rich in Catechins Leads to a Reduction in Body Fat and Malondialdehyde Modified LDL in Men;Tomonori Nagao, et al;January; 2005
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