Tea is the dry, roasted leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. It has been enjoyed for centuries by people all over the world. Tea can be very beneficial for your health. In fact, there are a lot of studies that prove how tea can help you improve your health and make you live longer. It is grown in more than 60 countries, with the largest production coming from China and India. People also say that tea can help with weight loss, but is it entirely true? Or instead, tea can be fattening?
What does Tea Contain?
All of the tea varieties have varying amounts of caffeine. There are also many other components that give green tea its characteristic flavor and aroma. These include amino acids (including theanine), tannins, volatile oils, and pigments. Theanine is an amino acid found in many teas. It is considered to be a relaxing ingredient that can reduce stress levels. Tannins are components that contribute to the astringency and bitterness in some teas.
Volatile oils are a group of compounds that make up an important part of the aroma profile of various teas and impart their characteristic flavors to the drinker’s palette. Finally, pigments are also present in green tea leaves. Pigments are produced by certain enzymes (terpene cyclases) when certain terpenes (such as linalool) react with oxygen. These pigments impart a green color to the final product.
Is Tea Fattening?
If you’re worried about your weight, it might be a good idea to limit the amount of tea you drink. The caffeine in tea can cause you to feel hungry more quickly, which may cause you to eat more calories than you burn. If this happens, make sure to replace those calories with healthier choices such as fruits and vegetables. Also, try drinking tea on an empty stomach.
Tea for Weight Loss
There are certain types of tea that can help us lose weight, including green tea, lemon balm, chamomile, strawberry tea, peppermint tea, and lemon verbena tea. Green tea is loaded with powerful antioxidants called catechins, which have been shown to promote weight loss by preventing the formation of fat cells. Lemon balm is an appetite suppressant due to its natural caffeine content and is loaded with flavonoids called apigenin that help promote weight loss. The main ingredient in chamomile tea is apigenin, which has been shown to increase weight loss by decreasing fat absorption and increasing the breakdown of fat in the body.
Strawberries are high in vitamin K, which can help promote weight loss by improving calcium absorption and balancing calcium levels in the body. They are also loaded with resveratrol—a compound that’s shown to reduce levels of belly fat by activating a protein called SIRT1 that’s found in fat cells. Peppermint has a cooling effect on the body, which can help with weight loss by preventing the formation of fat cells. It also contains ingredients called menthol and menthone that have been shown to reduce appetite and increase fat burning.
Lastly, lemon verbena contains an ingredient called citral that’s been shown to reduce hunger and promote weight loss by increasing metabolism and decreasing fat absorption. They are a great source of flavonoids called apigenin that have been shown to promote weight loss by increasing fat breakdown and reducing fat absorption.