Green tea has been associated with several health benefits, including weight loss, due to its rich nutritional and antioxidant content. Green tea may be beneficial for weight loss by helping the body’s metabolism to be more efficient. It contains caffeine and a type of flavonoid called catechin, which is an antioxidant. Catechins may inhibit fat digestion, and green tea extract may increase calorie burning. However, most studies on weight loss have focused on green tea extracts or supplements, not the beverage itself. Drinking between 2 and 3 cups of hot green tea throughout the day should be sufficient for supplementing weight loss, but the exact amount will vary from person to person, depending on how much caffeine they consume and their natural metabolism.
Here are some positive and negative aspects of using green tea for weight loss:
Positive:
- Green tea is rich in nutrients and antioxidants that may have a range of health benefits.
- Green tea contains caffeine, which can serve as a mild appetite suppressant.
- Green tea may help boost metabolism and increase fat burning.
Negative:
- Green tea extracts haven’t been shown to produce a meaningful weight loss in adults who are overweight or obese.
- Green tea at high doses has been shown to reduce blood levels and therefore the effectiveness of the drug nadolol, a beta-blocker used for high blood pressure and heart problems.
- There have been at least 34 case reports of people developing liver damage (sometimes severe) while consuming weight-loss products that contained concentrated extracts of green tea.
It is important to note that regularly exercising and eating a healthful diet with plenty of vegetables are highly effective weight loss strategies, and green tea used alongside these methods may increase their positive results.
