Chinese Tea & Weight Loss

Tea originated in China. Many health benefits are attributed to the various types of Chinese tea. Many teas can be useful in helping you lose weight. Different teas will have different effects on weight loss. For optimal weight loss, teas should be consumed without sweetener. If sweetener is used, honey is usually best for weight-loss purposes.

Green Tea

• Green tea has only 4 calories per unsweetened serving. Green tea is thought to help stimulate metabolism, which should help with weight loss. Polyphenols in tea are also thought to aid in the digestion and breakdown of fats in food.

Oolong Tea

• Oolong tea, sometimes spelled Wu Long or Wu Lung, has similar calorie contents to green tea. With a higher caffeine content, oolong may have stronger results on metabolism than green tea. Polyphenols from oolong tea also aid in fat digestion.

Black Tea

• Black tea has the highest caffeine content of any of the Chinese teas. Black tea has the same number of calories as oolong and green, but it may be more bitter if over-steeped. Black tea should not be over-steeped to avoid adding sweeteners that may add calories to the drink.

Pu-Erh Tea

• Pu-erh tea is made from a different type of tea plant than the other three types of Chinese tea. Pu-erh is an interesting tea in that is has been shown to lower cholesterol levels and is prescribed by some traditional Chinese medicine practitioners for weight loss. Pu-erh is a black tea with an earthy flavor that some say is an acquired taste.

Herbal Teas

• A number of Chinese weight-loss teas are available. Many are made entirely of herbs that are known for their ability to help people lose weight. Some of these diet teas use various tea leaves, including pu ehr leaves.