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Marketed as a golden elixir that can solve all your health problems – one hot cup at a time – green tea is the biggest food trend of the decade. You can have it with honey, a slice of lime, mint leaves, blueberries, strawberries and a zillion other combinations. But is it really healthy? Turns out, not really.
What is green tea?
Green tea is a form of Chinese tea that is made from Camellia sinensis leaves and buds. It is the same tea shrub that also produces white tea, yellow tea, oolong tea, dark tea and black tea. All these tea variants are harvested from one or the other. The differences in their colour and flavour profiles arise due to varying levels of oxidation (a process that results in the browning of tea leaves to enhance its flavour and aroma) they undergo.
Thus, the basic difference between a ‘healthy’ green tea and an ‘addictive and deleterious’ black tea is that the leaves of green tea have not experienced a similar wilting and oxidation procedure. So contrary to what major tea brands will want you to believe, there aren’t any added benefits or compounds that aid weight loss by drinking two cups of green tea, daily.
And to reaffirm this statement, we got in touch with Dr Siddhant Bhargava, a Fitness and Nutritional Scientist, who also runs Food Darzee.
Does green tea induce weight loss?
“Fundamentally, there are only 2 ways to treat obesity: reduce energy intake or increase energy expenditure (EE). But of late, there has been an increased interest in the potential thermogenic effects (food groups that help burn more calories than they consume during digestion) of many compounds extracted from plants,” says Dr Bhargava.
“The caffeine compound found in green tea is an example of this. It has shown to induce thermogenesis, but a green tea bag steeped in hot water as such doesn't aid weight loss. An intake of 12-13 glasses of green tea per day can help in increasing the body’s BMR by triggering its thermal effect but not to an extent that it can actually aid weight loss. Also, there is no justification for correct dosage of polyphenols and catechins (a type of natural phenol and antioxidant) content from green tea necessary for weight loss,” he adds.
So are there any real health benefits of drinking green tea?
“Green tea contains EC, EGC, ECG, EGCG catechins, which are great natural antioxidants for the body. It promotes gut health and aids in increasing one’s immunity. However, again, large quantities of green tea are required to have a any potential effect on the body.”
Are there any alternatives to green tea?
There are many better or equally healthy alternatives to green tea, such as:
Lemon water – It is a great and fresh beverage to begin your day with. It is calorie-free, caffeine-free and provides an ample dose of vitamin C.
Golden milk aka Turmeric milk – It is a rich caffeine-free substitute that also keeps illnesses at bay.
Apple cider vinegar – This particular drink may also increase feeling of fullness after meals and assist with modest weight loss.
Here’s the real tea about green tea: “There are many health perks of green tea but they may not necessarily be for you.”
Instead we recommend you focus your energies towards charting a proper workout routine. This will not only help you flex in the gym but also relieve stress.
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