If a caffeinated pick-me-up is what you’re after, it doesn’t get much better than starting your day with a hot cup of tea. In fact, as it turns out, regularly drinking tea can do more than just give you an energy boost; it’s loaded with health benefits that can keep your entire body happy and healthy, and many types of tea can even help you lose weight.
Of course, when you think of tea for weight loss, gimmicky flat belly detox teas may pop into your head, but it’s important to note that these types of teas can actually take a toll on your health over time and shouldn’t be relied on for sustainable, healthy weight loss. In fact, these products aren’t required to be regulated by the FDA, so experts generally warn you to stay away from them as much as possible.
Instead, choosing healthy, natural, antioxidant-rich teas that can help boost your metabolism and fight inflammation is a great way to go. And there’s one option in particular that experts Lisa Richards, nutritionist and creator of The Candida Diet, and Trista Best, dietitian for Balance One Supplements say you should definitely have on your radar: green tea. Learn more below!
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Green tea
The benefits of tea are plentiful–especially when it comes to weight loss. In fact, Richard notes that “tea has been used for many years as a means of improving metabolism," thanks to the compounds present in this herbal beverage. "The catechins in tea, which are classified as flavonoids, are the metabolism boosting compounds of the drink,” she explains.
While there are many catechin-rich teas out there, experts agree that green tea is among the best of the best and can offer some of the highest content of these compounds. Not only will this help to boost your metabolism so you can achieve a flatter belly, but it can also promote a healthier heart, lower inflammation levels, and more.
Best also sings the praises of this ancient tea, echoing the fact that it’s “packed with antioxidants, which have widespread health benefits from weight loss, preventing illness, reducing inflammation, and even potentially preventing cancer. Nice!
Keeping inflammation at bay, in particular, is one great way to stay on track with your weight loss goals. "When inflammation is at a normal level in the body it is able to function at its optimal level. This means our metabolism will improve as it doesn't work against inflammation and fatigue,” Best explains.
It’s also worth noting that regularly sipping on green tea can “raise the amount of calories the body burns naturally as a result of higher thermogenic effects of food (TEF),” as Best notes. Plus, this tea tastes delicious, and it can give you a boost of caffeine in the morning or while you’re battling that mid-day slump. What’s not to love?
All in all, there’s no denying that making green tea part of your daily diet can do wonders for your entire body–and that includes getting you one step closer to the flat belly of your dreams.
