Aside from water, tea is the most popular beverage in the world. Dieters might want to take special note of this, as several varieties of tea can help to melt that extra insulation they've acquired around the midsection. These teas have other health benefits as well, such as antioxidants that fight free radicals that cause cell damage in the body.
Green Tea
Green tea is made from the plant Camellia sinensis, as are black, white and oolong teas. Green tea leaves are steamed, and processing the plant this way preserves polyphenols, to which its beneficial effects are attributed. The polyphenols, including catechins, make up about 30 percent of green tea leaves' dry weight, according to the Pennington Biomedical Research Center of Louisiana. This tea has proven thermogenic and fat oxidation properties, according to an article by M.S. Westerterp-Plantenga in the journal "Physiology and Behavior." Thermogenisis is the body's rate of burning calories. It also helps to prevent the absorption of fat. Supplementing with one of the polyphenolic catechins in green tea, EGCG, also can halt diet-induced obesity, according to Nicholas Perricone's "The Perricone Weight Loss Diet." EGCG is the most abundant catechin in green tea, making up 65 percent of its catechin content. One cup of green tea has up to 200 mg of this catechin, reports PBRC.
White Tea
White tea can help prevent new fat cells that make up your body's adipose tissue from forming. Adipose fat is mostly located just under your skin but can also be found around your body's organs. It also can help to burn off the mature fat cells, reports the U.K.'s Telegraph newspaper. It boosts the body's slimming power via its high concentration of antioxidants. The antioxidant concentration in white tea is higher than the concentration in green tea, which comes from the same plant. White tea comes from the plant's first buds and is less processed. White tea has a higher antiviral and antibacterial effect than green tea.
Hibiscus Tea
Hibiscus tea has amylase inhibitors. Amylase is an enzyme in the body that breaks down complex sugars and starches. Inhibiting these enzymes cuts carbohydrate absorption. The same amylase inhibitor found in hibiscus tea, phaseolamin, also is found in kidney beans. Phaseolamin can lead to significant body weight loss and at the same time help to maintain lean body mass, according to a 2007 study on this kidney bean extract by Leonardo Cellenov, published in the International Journal of Medical Sciences. Hibiscus tea also has a high content of bioflavonoids, including proanthocyanidins. This bioflavonoid is found in grape seed extract as well, and is reputed to be a weight loss aid. It also can help lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, according to the "International Journal of Obesity." Hibiscus also has a diuretic effect that can assist with belly bloat. It's also high in antioxidants.
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