Why Are Tea People So Slim?

Once you fall in love with tea, you will notice small shifts beginning to occur in your life. It might be a particularly aromatic oolong, a flavorful red tea, or the way that matcha makes you feel. Regardless of the specific activator, tea will slowly, subtly begin to change you from the inside out. One day, you will wake up and happily realize that things are just better. You might notice the scale is not working so hard. Your mind might hold a thought and become more efficient. Perhaps your spirit feels more relaxed.

Throughout the ages, tea drinkers have been known to be slim. In modern times, tea has been reputed to help you lose weight by Oprah, Deepak, and the rest. While we know that this fact is due to the magic of the leaf, we can share a few scientific reasons too.

1. Tea is thermogenic - Tea has natural ingredients designed to boost metabolism and increase fat burning.
2. Tea suppresses the appetite - Zen monks used it to suppress sexual appetite as well.
3. Tea Has Catechins - Teas have a type of flavonoid called catechins that may boost metabolism and help your body break down fats more quickly. And the caffeine in many teas increases your energy use, causing your body to burn more calories. These two compounds probably work best together for any weight loss that may occur.
4. Plain Tea Has No Calories - One of the reasons why tea is effective as a weight loss aid is because people tend to drink it in place of lattes, cappuccinos, mochas and other calorie-laden counterparts. Since these beverages typically have hundreds of calories, you’ll lose weight by switching to tea even if you sweeten it up with a bit of milk and honey.
5. Tea Has Health Benefits - Tea leaves also contain an amino acid known as L-theanine, which aids in the release of serotonin and dopamine in neurotransmitters, which results in an improvement in mood. Although this won't directly cause you to lose weight, it may help you resist unhealthy food cravings if you tend to turn to food to alleviate feelings of anxiety or depression. L-theanine is also believed to balance out the effect of the caffeine contained in tea, which is why tea drinkers rarely complain about the type of caffeine jitters well-known to those who primarily drink coffee. Green tea has a little more L-theanine than black tea.

Best Teas for Weight Loss

Green Tea -- green tea contains more EGCG than any other type and has an abundance of L-theamine. Matcha green tea is the powdered version of traditional green tea, which makes it a more potent option. Special cultivation techniques are used in its production to ensure optimal antioxidant levels. 

Black and Red Tea -- “Black” or “red” tea (In British traditions this type of tea is called black and in Buddhist tea traditions it is called red) is processed by fully oxidizing the tea leaf. When oxidized, the leaf develops a pigment known as flavones that research suggests helps with weight loss.  Fully oxidized tea also has tannins which are noted for a long list of benefits...they are good for your heart and digestion, lower cholesterol and act as an anti-carcinogen.

Puerh Tea -- Puerh is one of the most unique teas on the planet. Grown in and around a town called Puerh in Yunnan, China, tea is native to Puerh. Puerh is a powerful digestion aid due to the fact that it contains probiotics. Sheng puerh is a steamed green tea that has aged naturally over time to develop beneficial bacteria. Shou puerh has been manufactured, like yogurt, with added biotics. Both have remarkable health benefits!

Oolong Tea -- In Asian cultures, Oolong is THE slimming tea of choice, with myriad varieties sold for that function. Every style of oolong is significantly different based on its cultivar and terroir, but in the end, all oolong tea has been partially oxidized, meaning that it shares the qualities of both green and red teas. Although it hasn't been as widely studied as other teas in the West, Asian tea drinkers know that it works! 

White Tea -- Because it's minimally processed, white tea has a lighter and more delicate flavor profile than any of the tea listed above. Studies show that white tea contains a comparable amount of catechins as green tea, and evidence suggests that it may kill certain types of cancer cells.

There are so many incredible, life-enhancing teas in the world,  you must just choose your favorite and then enjoy the process of steeping and sipping. Allow the benefits to come..they will come! And when they do, you will look back with wonder at the magical ways of tea!