Can Tea Help With Your Diet?

Dieting is not your favorite thing to do. You try to eat healthy foods and exercise when possible. It’s helping you to lose weight, but you would like to do more.

You’ve heard a lot about the health benefits of teas. The drink seems to help with everything from heart disease to diabetes. With all the qualities it has for fighting disease, can tea help with your diet, too?

The answer is, yes! Tea may help with weight loss.

Types of Tea

There are four main types of tea: white, green, oolong, and black. All four are made from the evergreen shrub called the Camellia Sinensis. The plant is found in the mountainous regions of the world, including China, India, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.

A tea’s richness and color are dependent on what part of the plant it’s harvested from and the level of oxidation. Oxidation is a natural chemical process that is caused by enzymes in the leaves. When the leaves are exposed to air, the result is wilting and browning. The longer the leaves are exposed, the more wilted and brown they become.

White tea

White tea is the least processed. It’s made from the young tender buds and leaves before they are allowed to oxidize. The drink gets its name from tiny silver hairs that cover the buds, giving them a white appearance.

Green tea

Green tea is made from the leaves of the plant before they begin to wither or oxidize. This tea has a high level of EGCG. It’s an antioxidant that has been shown to help fight inflammation and free radicals that lead to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other health issues. Properties in green tea have also been shown to help with weight loss.

Black tea

Black tea is probably the most well-known. The drink gets its color from a high level of oxidation. The flavors of back tea vary due to growth locations and techniques. Three of the most common types include Assam Black, Darjeeling, and Sri Lankan Ceylon.

Many black teas are combined with herbs and natural flavors. Popular varieties of black teas include Earl Grey, English Breakfast, and Chai.

Earl Grey tea is a British tea. It’s infused with oil of Bergamot giving it a citrusy taste. English Breakfast tea is often a mix of Assam and Sri Lankan Ceylon teas and has a rich, full-bodied flavor. Chai is a spicy tea, consisting of different blends of spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, and black pepper.

Benefits of Tea

Not only are they great tasting, but teas also purport a wide range of health benefits. The main compounds in tea that are beneficial to one’s health are antioxidants. These naturally-occurring chemicals have been shown to help fight free radicals that can cause cancer, protect our heart and brain from disease, combat gingivitis, and gum disease, lower blood sugar levels, and help with weight loss.

Teas can also reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety. Chamomile, lavender, and lemon balm are excellent herbal teas for insomnia. They are calming teas that can help you relax. Sip a cup of one of these herbal teas during the day to bring down your stress level, or in the evening to help you sleep.

Rooibos is an antioxidant herbal tea known for its vibrant red color. It’s grown in South Africa and although it’s been around for centuries, is just beginning to gain popularity. The flavor is rich and is a great caffeine-free alternative to green or black tea.

Green teas, such as Matcha, are excellent for energy and focus without the caffeine jitters. Black teas have the highest level of caffeine, but still, only have about half of the caffeine of coffee.

See Also: 5 Exciting Health Benefits of Tea

Teas for Diet

The best tea types for dieting are green teas. They are shown to have properties that boost metabolism and increase your body’s ability to burn fat. Catechins found in green teas are naturally-occurring antioxidants that may help with weight loss.

All teas can help with your diet. If you don’t add any sweeteners or milk, they are naturally low in calories. Switching out your soda for teas can help significantly reduce your calorie and sugar intake. Sodas are notoriously high in both.

Herbal teas also have little to no calories, if nothing is added to them. With no caffeine, they are also useful for hydration, an essential part of a healthy diet. There are many types of herbal teas that are good both hot and cold. Many tea brands have single serve packets of powdered teas that can easily be added to water bottles.

When you are trying to lose weight or just working on eating healthier, finding foods that taste good and also have health benefits is a plus. There are tea flavors to fit almost every unique taste. The list of health benefits from a cup of tea is long, including weight loss. A cup of tea can help with your diet!

See Also: 4 Best Teas To Help You Lose Weight