Green tea has for the longest time been touted as the go-to beverage for weight loss.
Many fitness trainers swear by it and it is rarely absent in the diet of those who are looking to cut weight. But how much weight can you lose with green tea?
Well, your question will be answered below as we will explore different studies to see if green tea can lead to substantial weight loss.
Before I answer the question – how much weight can you lose with green tea? – here are some of the proven benefits of green tea.
Benefits of Green Tea
Green tea does not go through fermentation. As such, most of the nutrients in the original plant makes it to your cup.
It is an antioxidants stronghold, dense especially in nutrients known as catechins. Catechins prevent cell damage and keep inflammation at bay. The catechin that has earned green tea its good reputation is the Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG), which boosts metabolism.
Green tea also has caffeine, though in acceptable quantities. The stimulant inhibits appetite and promotes the consumption of fewer calories. The combined effects of catechins and caffeine have great benefits for your metabolism.
Besides these, green tea has been shown to have compounds that inhibit cancer cells, improve brain function and keep Type II Diabetes at bay.
How Much Weight Can You Lose with Green Tea?
The studies below will give you a rough estimate of the amount of weight you can lose by taking green tea.
The University of Birmingham on Fat Burning Potential
In this study to investigate the fat-burning capacity of green tea, 12 men were given green tea extract and 11 other men were given placebos before a 30-minute exercise stint.
At the end of the exercise, the men who took the green tea before exercise were found to have burnt 17% more fat than those who had not.
This goes on to show that green tea does have a fat-burning potential that can translate to weight loss. The presence of caffeine in green tea helped improve physical activity and boost the stamina of the men who took it, giving them better results.
Thai Study on Green Tea’s Metabolism Boosting Capabilities
A Thai study conducted on 60 overweight men showed weight loss of up to 3.3 kg in 12 weeks among the subjects that took green tea.
All the participants of this study took the conventional Thai diet, which is made of three meals. Their weight was measured after 4, 8 and 12 weeks. Those who took green tea extract weighed 3.3kg on average less, as compared to their counterparts on placebos. This was tied to the metabolism-boosting capacity of green tea.
Note that all these people ate uniform meals prepared by the Nutritional Unit at Srinagarind Hospital.
When each is left to their own diets, the effects may vary. More so, 3.3kg loss after 12 weeks which is hypothetically three months, translates to a 1.1 kg (4.5 pounds) loss every month. Some people might not find this much.
University of Oklahoma Study
Researchers at the University of Oklahoma conducted a study on 35 obese men to determine the effect of green tea on body weight, glucose, and lipid profile.
They were divided into 3 groups: the first was a control group that only took four cups of water daily. The second group took four cups of green tea daily and the third took two capsules of green extract and two cups of water.
At the end of the 8 weeks of study, the control group showed no significant change, while the other two groups showed a decrease in BMI and up to 2.5kg weight loss.
Maastricht University Study
The above studies show there is a potential decrease in weight when one takes green tea.
However, the way the tea is served can also limit weight loss as this Maastricht University study showed.
If served with milk, the weight loss is much less. The study was carried out among 18 subjects who were given green tea with water and another with breakfast containing milk protein. Those who took breakfast with milk protein recorded lower weight loss.
What People Online Say
If you search “how much weight can you lose with green tea?” on forums, you’ll see plenty of testimonials about this beverage. Some say they have lost up to 112 pounds, by just drinking green tea exclusively and doing nothing else.
The problem with these accounts is that they cannot be substantiated. Hence, we rely on studies for more reliable results with scientific backing.
In all these, it would be wise to note that people react to green tea differently. On some people it might work, on others, it might have the opposite effect.
Relying on Green Tea for Weight Loss
You cannot solely rely on green tea to lose weight. Green works best when you take it instead of a high calorie, high sugar beverage or food.
And not when you take it alongside high-calorie, high-sugar drinks, and foods. This way any gains made in this process will quickly be lost.
In fact, a review conducted in 2010 casts aspersions on whether green tea assists weight loss, terming the losses as ‘insignificant’.
More so, the studies that show that green tea has some weight loss properties, it is clear that weight loss is better promoted when green tea is supplemented with exercise. This means, in order to reach optimal results, it is best to take tea and exercise too.
Luckily, you don’t have to exercise for hours, doing these 15-minute fat-burning workouts every morning can help you lose the excess weight.
The Bottom Line
How much weight can you lose weight green tea? Frankly, not much if it’s not combined with a healthy diet and a good workout plan.
By all means, take green tea because it is good for your health and well-being. But do not center your weight loss goals all around it if you want to see big weight loss results.
Yet another thing to note is, in most studies, green tea extract which is purer was administered. The green tea we find on shelves might not be as pure and by the time it gets to our cups after preparation, it might not hold the same nutritional composition as the extract used in these trials.
Therefore, invest in pure green tea extract to get results similar to those in the studies.
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