Does Green Tea Really Help You Lose Weight?

You may drink green tea for its taste; you may drink it to improve your alertness; or you may drink the tea or take green tea extract in hopes of losing weight. According to MayoClinic.com, green tea can help to increase fat and calorie metabolism while aiding in the reduction of your appetite.

Zero Calories

Green tea, from the camellia sinensis plant, may be able to help you lose weight, because it is a beverage that has no calories. If you drink green tea often and don't add milk or sugar, this ensures you aren't adding calories.

Antioxidants

Staying healthy is not only important in general, but keeping fit and on your toes is especially important during weight loss. Antioxidants can help keep you healthy, as they combat compounds that could otherwise cause illness or disease. Nutrients with potent antioxidant properties -- polyphenols -- are naturally packed in green tea. Physician and best-selling author Eric R. Braverman reports that green tea has more antioxidants than fruits and vegetables -- ten times more.

Caffeine and Green Tea

Caffeine in green tea may give your metabolism a boost, help curb your cravings for food and even offer a temporary energy burst -- that's a plus for working out. In 2004, the "British Journal of Nutrition" reported the results of an experiment involving individuals attempting to lose weight with green tea combined with caffeine. The study's conclusions suggested that green tea with caffeine helps to enhance weight loss in overweight and moderately obese individuals.

Insulin and Dietary Fats

Green tea's benefits for weight loss can be seen in its effects on insulin levels. Braverman reports that green tea may decrease your body's absorption of dietary fats by around 40 percent, while aiding in the suppression of insulin and directing your dietary fats to your muscles. This is significant for helping to shed pounds, because once the dietary fats are directed to your muscles, they can immediately be burned instead of being stored away in your cells, which can result in body fat.

Recommendations and Warnings

Braverman's recommendations for incorporating green tea into your weight-loss plan involve drinking at least 1 cup of tea after every meal. He believes that by doing so, you can possibly lose about 5 percent more weight. Drugs.com warns against using green tea without first speaking to your physician, especially if you have kidney disease, problems with your heart, high blood pressure, an overactive thyroid, anxiety or a blood-clotting disorder, or you take blood thinners.