Many beverages, such as juice and soda, are loaded with calories, and drinking them in excess can cause you to gain weight. But sipping green tea can actually help you lose weight and get rid of belly fat. Adding a cup of green tea to your morning breakfast or even your lunch can promote a trimmer tummy.
Weight Loss
Drinking green tea daily can help you slim your waistline and drop weight. A study published in December 1999 in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found that drinking green tea promoted fat loss. The catechins and caffeine in green tea increase metabolism. A faster metabolism will help to alter your body composition by burning fat.
Belly Fat
The "Journal of Nutrition" published a study in February 2009 that found that catechins in green tea increased belly-fat loss in obese men and women on an exercise program. The study directed 107 overweight and obese participants to consume either a placebo beverage or a green tea beverage for 12 weeks. The participants were also expected to exercise. While both groups lost weight and belly fat, the group consuming green tea lost more belly fat than the placebo group.
Choose Wisely
Drink your green tea plain. Sugar and honey add unwanted calories. When you're ordering green tea at a restaurant, make sure it isn't sweetened. Green teas can be consumed either hot or cold. Also drink your tea early in the day, because the caffeine in green tea may keep you awake.
Considerations
Simply drinking green tea will not give you a six pack. You must also eat a healthy diet and engage in physical activity. Choose a diet that contains whole grains, lean meats, low-fat dairy products, fruits, vegetables and nuts. Aim to exercise most days of the week for 30 minutes to help burn fat off your midsection, allowing you to get rid of your belly fat faster.
References
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Efficacy of green tea extract rich in catechin and polyphenols and caffeine; Abdul Dulloo, et al.December 1999
- "Journal of Nutrition"; Green Tea Catechin Consumption Enhances Exercise-Induced Abdominal Fat Loss in Overweight and Obese Adults; Maki KC, et al. February 2009
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