Rob
I have followed quite a but on what Oprah said. I think she exarggerates the weight loss benefits. But it is true that tea helps weight loss, whether from the point of view of Chinese medicine or Western scientific studies.
- Human trials have found that drinking green tea helps lose weight, in the region of a few percent for up to 12 weeks, not a lot, but there is some evidence that it adds up over time.
- This is because another medium scale Taiwanese study found that the duration of drinking MIGHT be more important than the amount you drink.
- Green tea helps lose weight by increasing metabolism, burning fat, blocking fat absoption, reducing glucose etc.
- There is less evidence for oolong tea, but some really preliminary study found that oolong tea is better than green tea in breaking down fat and reducing cholesterol. I think until now it is too early to say whether green tea, oolong tea or puerh is better for losing. Just drink whichever you like best.
- The components in green tea that helps weight loss are caffeine, catechins and MAYBE theanine. Catechins help to enhance the weight loss effect of caffeine. Therefore the best green tea weight loss beverage is those richest in catechins and caffeine - i.e. really high grade green tea harvested using tea flush, or one bud and its adjacent two leaves.
And yes, it works for me to too!
More information on weight loss scientific studies can be found below:
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The page needs to be updated for quite a few more studies, but my newborn daughter has just been born so I am struggling for time these days ...
Julian
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