You may reach for a cup of hot tea on a cold day when you're not feeling up to par or for a quick pick-me-up. Tea drinking is a common ritual with proof in the numbers—158 million Americans enjoy a cup on any given day. It's estimated that over 80 billion servings of tea, or 3.6 billion gallons, were consumed in America last year alone.
But did you know that some teas can help you shed pounds? Find out how each of the below teas can play a role in helping slim your waistline and other health benefits they may bring to your body.
Green tea
Several studies have shown that the caffeine and flavonoids in green tea can help elevate your metabolic rate, improve insulin activity and increase fat oxidation. You don't need to drink a lot of green tea for weight loss; benefits have been found by drinking just 2.5 cups a day. Some varieties are better for weight loss than others. Consider the matcha green tea. This rich green tea is an ideal source of antioxidants and nutrients because the whole leaf is ground and consumed as part of the beverage (compared to other green teas where the leaves are steeped and then you consume the tea). It also has weight-loss benefits. Read more about how to drink green tea for weight loss.
Black tea
Black tea is the most popular one, accounting for about 84 percent of all tea consumed. The tea contains polyphenols, which are plant compounds that may be responsible for blocking fat absorption. Studies have also found that drinking a cup of black tea per day improves cardiovascular function. In particular, there are also these awesome rooibos tea benefits.
Mint tea
When you inhale certain scents, you help suppress your appetite. Fill a big teacup with peppermint tea to possibly help combat cravings and hunger, and sniff your way to a skinnier you. The minty and fresh scent is a delicious and easy way to quash hunger.
Oolong tea
This light, floral tea has a Chinese name meaning "black dragon." It offers a smooth but bold taste due to its partially oxidized leaves (black teas are fully oxidized). It's loaded with catechins that boost your body's ability to metabolize fats. And that promotes weight loss. Since it's brimming with the antioxidant polymerized polyphenol, oolong tea inhibits the body's ability to absorb fat. The beverage is also known to help fight high blood pressure.
Rooibos tea
This South African tea boasts aspalathin, a compound shown to reduce stress hormones that trigger fat storage and hunger. The compound is also linked to helping reduce health conditions like cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
White tea
Because white tea is dried naturally (often in sunlight), it's one of the richest and least processed teas. Drink this tea, which boasts a smooth and delicate flavor, to help prevent the formation of new fat cells. It also contains L-theanine, which helps decrease stress while promoting concentration.
Pu-erh tea
This fermented black Chinese tea offers a light, slightly earth and smooth taste and may shrink the size of your fat cells, literally, thanks to an enzyme-activating ingredient. It also contains a lot of gallic acid, which may help inhibit the body's absorption of fat.
Yerba mate tea
This South American tea comes from the yerba mate plant. Its leaves and twigs are dried, usually over a fire, and steeped in hot water to make an herbal tea. This caffeine-containing tea, often called mate, may help promote weight loss. Some consider it an ideal substitute for coffee, minus the bitterness. The Mayo Clinic advises, however, to enjoy this tea in moderation. Some studies have found that people who drink large amounts of mate over prolonged periods may be at increased risk for certain types of cancer such as cancer of the mouth, lungs and esophagus (smoking in combination with drinking mate increases the cancer risk).
Bilberry tea
Grab a cup of this noncaffeinated tea in the evening. Because it tastes naturally sweet, you'll hopefully stay away from the carton of ice cream in the freezer. Plus, antioxidant-loaded bilberries help reduce blood sugar levels.
Lemon tea
Lemon tea contains d-limonene, a compound found in citrus rind oil that's been used for diuretic purposes since ancient times. And that d-limonene can help fight belly bloat due to water retention.
