Natural Teas to Decrease Appetite

Green tea is a non-fermented type of tea that is famous for having a very large number of antioxidants in it. Green tea and other kinds of tea have long been promoted as weight-loss supplements by many diet gurus. Research investigating the effectiveness of tea as a weight-loss tool has turned up some conflicting information. While green tea does seem to have properties that can contribute to weight loss, scientists are unsure of how effective it actually is.

Green Tea

• Scientists at the University of Chicago have found that green tea can cause rats to lose 21 percent of their body weight. The rats consumed less than 60 percent of what they consumed before being injected with green tea. The green tea causes an increase in leptin, a chemical that controls appetite. However, leptin alone does not suppress hunger. Other hormonal changes also occurred when consuming green tea, such as decreases in testosterone. The green tea also reduced the amount of fat that was found just beneath the skin's surface. Being injected with substances found in green tea is much more effective than consuming green tea orally, though researchers think that drinking the green tea over a long period of time can cause the same effects as the green tea injection. Unfortunately, the green tea would have to be consumed constantly to achieve the effects of weight loss.

  Other research seems to contradict the research conducted by the University of Chicago. Research laboratories in Tokyo found that those who drank a bottle of tea fortified with green tea extract lost more weight than those who drank oolong tea. The participants of the study ate the same amount of food. Antioxidants known as catechins might change the way the body distributes fat.

Porangaba

• Porangaba is another kind of tea that has been promoted as an appetite suppressant. This type of tea comes from Brazil and is sold as unprocessed tea leaves rather than powdered or extracted tea. Despite research findings that suggest that these teas are ineffective, many who consume green tea, herbal tea and peppermint tea claim to feel their appetites suppressed, according to Local Harvest. While not medically proven, those who experience appetite suppressant effects of drinking green tea might as well continue consuming it, even if the green tea only has a placebo effect.

Pu-erh

• Pu-erh tea is another tea that is advertised as an appetite suppressant. This tea has twice the amount of fermentation as regular fermented teas. Teas such as pu-erh and oolong tea claim to have enzymes that provide nutrients or act as appetite suppressants. However, these teas might merely provide appetite suppression because they fill the stomach, which sends a signal to the drinker to stop eating.