6 Amazing Teas that Help You Lose Weight

Obesity has become a worldwide health problem. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one-third of American adults and 17 percent of American children and teenagers fall under this category.

Being overweight or obese is a serious matter of concern as it puts people at higher risk for serious diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Obesity typically results from an unhealthy diet and lack of adequate exercise, so following a healthy diet and exercising regularly are the two best tools for losing weight.

Plus, be sure to include some healthy herbal teas in your diet. A few cups of weight loss assisting herbal tea will help you reach your weight goal as well as improve your overall health.

It will boost your metabolism to help you burn fat easier and faster. It even reduces bad cholesterol levels and can actually help you shrink fat cells.

Tea also helps control your appetite, so that you don’t indulge in mindless eating that makes you fatter day by day. Plus, most herbal teas support the detoxification process that helps flush toxins out of the body and aids in losing weight.

Apart from weight management, herbal teas can also help improve digestion, boost energy and help prevent arthritis, tooth decay and cancer.

Another good thing about herbal teas is that they are easy to make. You just need hot water and the desired tea leaves or bags.

Here are the top 10 best amazing teas that help you lose weight.

1. GREEN TEA

When it comes to the best tea for weight loss, green tea surely tops the list. It contains the catechin epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which builds metabolism to burn calories and promote weight loss.

Green tea also raises the level of antioxidants in the body. Plus, regular intake of green tea supports detoxification.

A 2014 study conducted at Penn State showed that EGCG in green tea helps slow down weight gain by limiting fat absorption and increasing the body’s ability to use fat.

Earlier, a 2009 study published in the International Journal of Obesity highlighted the positive effects of green tea on weight loss and weight maintenance.

Aim to include 3 to 4 cups of green tea in your daily diet. To make the tea:
Put 1 to 2 teaspoons of good quality green tea leaves in a cup.
Pour hot water over it.
Cover and steep for 2 to 3 minutes.
Strain, add a little raw honey and drink it.

2. PEPPERMINT TEA

As peppermint works as a natural appetite suppressant, tea made from fresh or dried peppermint leaves also supports weight loss.

Drinking a cup of peppermint tea between meals reduces hunger pangs. This in turn prevents overeating and reduces intake of calorie-rich snacks. Moreover, peppermint is low in calories, thus naturally reducing your calorie intake.

This herb also aids digestion and reduces stress to support weight loss. Even the soothing scent of peppermint helps suppress appetite.
Add 1 tablespoon of either fresh or dried peppermint leaves to a cup of boiling water.
Cover and steep for about 10 minutes.
Strain the tea, add a little bit of raw honey and stir well before drinking.
Drink this tea not more than 3 times a day.

Note: Women who are trying to conceive, pregnant or breastfeeding should not drink peppermint tea.

3. OOLONG TEA

Oolong tea supports weight loss by boosting your metabolism. Like green tea, it also contains catechins, which help your body metabolize fat faster. It even reduces cholesterol and the concentration of fat in the body.

A 2009 study published in the Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine highlights the beneficial effects of oolong tea consumption on diet-induced overweight and obese subjects as it could decrease body fat content and reduce body weight through improving lipid (fat) metabolism.

Earlier, a 2001 study published in the Journal of Nutrition showed that intake of oolong tea stimulates both energy expenditure and fat oxidation in normal weight men.

Besides weight loss, it is good for diabetic and heart disease patients. To make the tea:
Bring 1 cup of water to a boil, then allow it to rest for 2 minutes.
Pour the water into a pot or cup.
Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of oolong tea leaves to the water.
Cover and steep for 1 to 5 minutes.
Strain and drink.
Drink 2 cups of this tea daily.

Used tea leaves can be steeped a couple more times, producing new flavors with each subsequent brew.
4. White Tea

White tea is one of the teas highly rich in antioxidants that prevent new fat cells from forming. It even slows down the body’s ability to absorb fats. The caffeine in it also speeds up the metabolism process.

A 2009 study published in Nutrition and Metabolism reports that white tea extracts can effectively block adipogenesis (the formation of fat cells) as well as boost lipolysis (the breakdown of fat). This in turn fights obesity and reduces the risk of obesity-related diseases.

This tea also works as natural appetite suppressant, thus helping you cut down on unnecessary snacking.
Put 1 tablespoon of loose white tea leaves into a cup.
Pour in hot water up to ¾ inch of the rim of the cup.
Steep for about 5 to 7 minutes. The tea may take longer to brew (about 10 minutes) if it consists of buds only.
Strain, add lemon juice or a little mint for flavor and drink it.

You can drink 2 to 4 cups of white tea a day.

This tea is naturally sweet, so there is no need to add any sweetener.

5. HIBISCUS TEA

The beautiful hibiscus flower when brewed into tea is an excellent beverage for weight loss. It contains high concentrations of antioxidants that aid weight loss by boosting metabolism.

The enzyme inhibitor called phaseolamin in it reduces the production of amylase, which in turn allows fewer carbohydrates to be absorbed into your bloodstream to accelerate weight loss.

Plus, being diuretic in nature, it even helps you shed water weight.

In a 2014 study published in the Food & Function Journal, researchers found that people who took tablets made from hibiscus extracts for 12 weeks showed reduced waist circumference, body fat percentage and hip-to-waist ratio as compared to obese people who took a placebo.

To make the tea:
Add 2 tablespoons of dried hibiscus petals to 2 cups of water.
Bring it to a boil, then simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
Strain and add raw honey and a little lemon juice for taste.
Drink 2 to 3 cups of hibiscus tea daily.

Note: If you are a pregnant or nursing, do not drink hibiscus tea.

6. GINGER TEA

Ginger tea is also effective in promoting weight loss. It promotes satiety, which prevents unnecessary snacking and compulsive eating of high-calorie foods.

This makes it easier for you to cut back your daily calorie intake. In addition, ginger improves digestion and boosts your metabolism.

A 2014 study published in the Journal of the Science and Food of Agriculture notes that gingerol, the primary component in ginger, helps reduce body weight as well as improves levels of leptin, the hormone that signals satiety.

Earlier, a 2012 study published in Metabolism noted that drinking a hot ginger beverage after a meal reduces feelings of hunger for up to six hours.

To make ginger tea:
Cut 1 inch of fresh ginger root into small pieces and add them to 1½ cups of boiling water.
Cover and steep for 10 minutes.
Strain, add the juice of half a lemon and sip it slowly.
Drink 2 to 3 cups of ginger tea a day.