What does fact checked mean?
At Healthfully, we strive to deliver objective content that is accurate and up-to-date. Our team periodically reviews articles in order to ensure content quality. The sources cited below consist of evidence from peer-reviewed journals, prominent medical organizations, academic associations, and government data.
- “Physiology & Behavior”; Effectiveness of Green Tea; Paradee Auvichayapat, et al.; February 2008
- “Physiology & Behavior”; Effectiveness of Green Tea; Paradee Auvichayapat, et al.; February 2008
The information contained on this site is for informational purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for the advice of a professional health care provider. Please check with the appropriate physician regarding health questions and concerns. Although we strive to deliver accurate and up-to-date information, no guarantee to that effect is made.
Can Drinking Tea With Meals Make You Lose Weight?
As legend has it, in 2737 B.C. Emperor Sheng Nong was boiling water under a tea tree, when leaves fell into his pot. **He drank the brew and became enamored of its flavor.
** Fueled by a passion for medical herbs, he wrote of the extensive health benefits of tea.
Modern science has substantiated many of the early claims regarding the health effects of tea. Among its many benefits, green tea can contribute to weight loss.
Active Ingredients
Green tea contains chemicals called catechins, a type of polyphenol that promotes the health of the tea plant. Catechins are powerful antioxidents that neutralize the damaging effect of free radicals, rogue compounds that scavenge other cells for electrons. The catechins in tea, as well as other active ingredients, such as caffeine and the polyphenol theanine, seem to help humans as well.
The polyphenols in green tea are associated with a lower risk for certain types of cancer, Parkinson’s disease, heart attacks and several neurological disorders, the Psychology Today website reports 5. They also promote weight loss and enhance fat metabolism, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
- Green tea contains chemicals called catechins, a type of polyphenol that promotes the health of the tea plant.
- The catechins in tea, as well as other active ingredients, such as caffeine and the polyphenol theanine, seem to help humans as well.
Boost Your Metabolism
Herbal Teas That Stabilize Blood Sugar
Learn More
Caffeine and catechins in green tea appear to increase metabolism and cause weight loss 3. The type of catechin in green tea, epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, increases the production of heat, increasing the number of calories you burn in every activity, from breathing to running. A 12-week study published in the February 2008 issue of “Physiology & Behavior” found that participants who drank green tea daily lost 7.3 lbs 4. more weight than non-tea drinkers who had identical diets. The study authors concluded that green tea increased participants’ energy expenditure and fat metabolism.
Slow Your Digestion
Catechins in green tea assist in the regulation of glucose by slowing the release of digested sugar into your bloodstream. This prevents spikes in glucose and dampens insulin response, slowing the transformation of blood glucose into fat.
Green tea enhances insulin sensitivity, muting over-production of insulin and stabilizing blood sugar, so you have fuel readily available for your brain and body. Having stable blood sugar also staunches your appetite and reduces food cravings.
- Catechins in green tea assist in the regulation of glucose by slowing the release of digested sugar into your bloodstream.
Inhibit Fat Absorption
What Are the Health Benefits of Gohyah Tea?
Learn More
**Catechins in tea decrease the absorption of glucose into fat cells.
** Consumption of high amounts of catechins significantly affects fat distribution in moderately overweight people, a 2010 study in “Obesity” reports. Four groups drank tea that differed in the amount of catechins. Participants who drank the most catechins had significant improvements in body fat, body mass, waist size and weight.
- Catechins in tea decrease the absorption of glucose into fat cells.
- Participants who drank the most catechins had significant improvements in body fat, body mass, waist size and weight.
Decrease Your Appetite
The caffeine in green tea can suppress your appetite, but the catechins might be especially potent. A study from the University of Chicago, described at UC Hospitals, found that rats injected with EGCG ate as much as 60 percent less food. A June 2009 study published in “Clinical Nutrition” found that green tea suppressed hunger and increased satiety in humans, especially when participants were experiencing a calorie deficit. You can drink tea at any time and potentially experience weight-loss benefits, but drinking green tea during meals may provide additional benefits. Green tea has no calories, but it fills your stomach, sating your appetite just as you are poised to eat. It slows release of sugar from digested food, but does so only if you drink it while you are eating.
Green tea is no magic bullet. To lose weight, create a calorie deficit by eating fewer calories. Green tea can assist your efforts. Drink it any time of day, but make it your beverage of choice during meals to give your weight-loss efforts a boost.
- The caffeine in green tea can suppress your appetite, but the catechins might be especially potent.
- It slows release of sugar from digested food, but does so only if you drink it while you are eating.
Related Articles
References
- “Clinical Nutrition”; Effects of Capsaicin, Green Tea and CH-A19 Sweet Pepper on Appetite and Energy Intake in Humans in Negative and Positive Energy Balance; Helene Reinbach, et al.; June 2009
- The Colon Therapists Network: Green Tea Boosts Metabolic Weight Loss; Kathryn O'Neill
- NutraIngredients; Green Tea Catechins Linked to Weight Loss; Lorrine Heller, Jan. 2009
- “Physiology & Behavior”; Effectiveness of Green Tea; Paradee Auvichayapat, et al.; February 2008
- Psychology Today; Green Tea on the Brain; Anne Becker, June 10, 2003
- Hoofnagle JH, Wright EC. Weight Loss from Green Tea Extracts. Clin Nutr. 2016;35(1):238. doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2015.09.013
- Rains TM, Agarwal S, Maki KC. Antiobesity effects of green tea catechins: a mechanistic review. J Nutr Biochem. 2011;22(1):1-7. doi:10.1016/j.jnutbio.2010.06.006
- Nagao T, Meguro S, Hase T, et al. A catechin-rich beverage improves obesity and blood glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2009;17(2):310-7. doi:10.1038/oby.2008.505
- Maron DJ, Lu GP, Cai NS, et al. Cholesterol-lowering effect of a theaflavin-enriched green tea extract: a randomized controlled trial. Arch Intern Med. 2003;163(12):1448-53. doi:10.1001/archinte.163.12.1448
- Mineharu Y, Koizumi A, Wada Y, et al. Coffee, green tea, black tea and oolong tea consumption and risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease in Japanese men and women. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2011;65(3):230-40. doi:10.1136/jech.2009.097311
- Tsao AS, Liu D, Martin J, et al. Phase II randomized, placebo-controlled trial of green tea extract in patients with high-risk oral premalignant lesions. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2009;2(11):931-41. doi:10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-09-0121
- Mclarty J, Bigelow RL, Smith M, Elmajian D, Ankem M, Cardelli JA. Tea polyphenols decrease serum levels of prostate-specific antigen, hepatocyte growth factor, and vascular endothelial growth factor in prostate cancer patients and inhibit production of hepatocyte growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor in vitro. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2009;2(7):673-82. doi:10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-08-0167
- Chow H-HS. Effects of Dosing Condition on the Oral Bioavailability of Green Tea Catechins after Single-Dose Administration of Polyphenon E in Healthy Individuals. Clinical Cancer Research. 2005;11(12):4627-4633. doi:10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-04-2549
- Sarma DN, Barrett ML, Chavez ML, et al. Safety of green tea extracts : a systematic review by the US Pharmacopeia. Drug Saf. 2008;31(6):469-84. doi:10.2165/00002018-200831060-00003
- Misaka S, Yatabe J, Müller F, et al. Green tea ingestion greatly reduces plasma concentrations of nadolol in healthy subjects. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2014;95(4):432-8. doi:10.1038/clpt.2013.241
- Cao J, Han J, Xiao H, Qiao J, Han M. Effect of Tea Polyphenol Compounds on Anticancer Drugs in Terms of Anti-Tumor Activity, Toxicology, and Pharmacokinetics. Nutrients. 2016;8(12):762. doi:10.3390/nu8120762
- Cabrera C, Artacho R, Giménez R. Beneficial effects of green tea--a review. J Am Coll Nutr. 2006;25(2):79-99. doi:10.1080/07315724.2006.10719518
- Weng X, Odouli R, Li DK. Maternal caffeine consumption during pregnancy and the risk of miscarriage: a prospective cohort study. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2008;198(3):279.e1-8. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2007.10.803
- Seeram NP, Henning SM, Niu Y, Lee R, Scheuller HS, Heber D. Catechin and Caffeine Content of Green Tea Dietary Supplements and Correlation with Antioxidant Capacity. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2006;54(5):1599-1603. doi:10.1021/jf052857r
- Arts IC, Van de putte B, Hollman PC. Catechin contents of foods commonly consumed in The Netherlands. 2. Tea, wine, fruit juices, and chocolate milk. J Agric Food Chem. 2000;48(5):1752-7. doi:10.1021/jf000026+
- Cabrera C, Artacho R, Giménez R. Beneficial effects of green tea--a review. J Am Coll Nutr. 2006. 25(2):79-99.
- Chow HH, Hakim IA, Vining DR, Crowell JA, Ranger-Moore J, Chew WM, Celaya CA, Rodney SR, Hara Y, Alberts DS. Effects of dosing condition on the oral bioavailability of green tea catechins after single-dose administration of Polyphenon E in healthy individuals. Clin Cancer Res. 2005 Jun 15;11(12):4627-33. doi:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-04-2549
- Chung-Hua Hsu, Tung-Hu Tsai, Yung-Hsi Kao, Kung-Chang Hwang, Ting-Yu Tseng, Pesus Chou, Effect of green tea extract on obese women: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Clinical Nutrition. 2008. 27(3): 363-370. doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2008.03.007
- Hoofnagle, J. Weight Loss from Green Tea Extracts. Clinical Nutrition. 2016. 35(1): 238. doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2015.09.013
- I-Ju Chen, Chia-Yu Liu, Jung-Peng Chiu, Chung-Hua Hsu. Therapeutic effect of high-dose green tea extract on weight reduction: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Clinical Nutrition. 2016. 35(3): 592-599. doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2015.05.003
- Ilja C. W. Arts, Betty van de Putte, and Peter C. H. Hollman. Catechin Contents of Foods Commonly Consumed in The Netherlands. 2. Tea, Wine, Fruit Juices, and Chocolate Milk. J. Agric. Food Chem., 2000. 48 (5):1752–175. doi:10.1021/jf000026
- Li N, Sun Z, Han C, Chen J. The chemopreventive effects of tea on human oral precancerous mucosa lesions. Proceedings from the Society of Experimental Biology and Medicine. 1999. 220(4):218–224. doi:10.1046/j.1525-1373.1999.d01-37.x
- Maron DJ, Lu GP, Cai NS, Wu ZG, Li YH, Chen H, Zhu JQ, Jin XJ, Wouters BC, Zhao J. Cholesterol-Lowering Effect of a Theaflavin-Enriched Green Tea Extract: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Arch Intern Med. 2003 23;163(12):1448-53. doi:10.1001/archinte.163.12.1448
- McLarty J, Bigelow RL, Smith M, Elmajian D, Ankem M, Cardelli JA. Tea Polyphenols Decrease Serum Levels of Prostate-Specific Antigen, Hepatocyte Growth Factor, and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Prostate Cancer Patients and Inhibit Production of Hepatocyte Growth Factor and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Vitro. Cancer Prev Res (Phila Pa). 2009 2(7):673-82. doi:10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-08-0167
- Mineharu Y, Koizumi A, Wada Y, Iso H, Watanabe Y, Date C. Coffee, green tea, black tea and oolong tea consumption and risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease in Japanese men and women. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2011. 65(3):230-40. doi:10.1136/jech.2009.097311
- Misaka S, Yatabe J, Müller F. Green tea ingestion greatly reduces plasma concentrations of nadolol in healthy subjects. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 2014. 95(4):432-438. doi:10.1038/clpt.2013.241
- Nagao T, Meguro S, Hase T, Otsuka K, Komikado M, Tokimitsu I. A catechin rich beverage improves obesity and blood glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2009. 17:310–7. doi:10.1038/oby.2008.505.
- Rains, T., Agarwal, S., Maki, K. Antiobesity effects of green tea catechins: a mechanistic review. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. 2011. 22 (1): 1-7. doi:10.1016/j.jnutbio.2010.06.006.
- Sarma DN, Barrett ML, Chavez ML. Safety of green tea extracts: a systematic review by the US Pharmacopeia. Drug Safety. 2008. 31(6):469-484. doi:10.2165/00002018-200831060-00003
- Seeram NP, Henning SM, Niu Y, Lee R, Scheuller HS, Heber D. Catechin and caffeine content of green tea dietary supplements and correlation with antioxidant capacity. J Agric Food Chem. 2006. 54(5):1599-603. doi:10.1021/jf052857r
- Tsao AS, Liu D, Martin J, Tang XM, Lee JJ, El-Naggar AK, Wistuba I, Culotta KS, Mao L, Gillenwater A, Sagesaka YM, Hong WK, Papadimitrakopoulou V. Phase II randomized, placebo-controlled trial of green tea extract in patients with high-risk oral premalignant lesions. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2009. 2(11):931-41. doi:10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-09-0121
- Weng X, Odouli R, and Li D-K. Maternal caffeine consumption during pregnancy and the risk of miscarriage: a prospective cohort study. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2008. 198:279.e1-279.e8. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2007.10.803
Resources
Writer Bio
Jon Williams is a clinical psychologist and freelance writer. He has performed, presented and published research on a variety of psychological and physical health issues.