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Some studies suggest that certain types of tea may help with weight loss by increasing metabolism, says Kylie Churnetski, a registered dietitian and health and wellness coach in Dallas.
Compared to beverages like soda and energy drinks, drinking tea is a healthier habit, adds Churnetski. Research indicates that frequent consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is linked to weight gain and chronic diseases, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. However, over-consuming sugar is not a direct cause of these health conditions.
And, just because tea is a healthier alternative, it doesn’t necessarily mean that drinking it will directly help you lose weight. Like many purported “weight loss foods,” the science is a bit more complicated.
Here are some of the teas most commonly connected to weight loss, and how they may actually work in your body.
Green Tea
“Green tea comes from the same plant as white, oolong and black tea: Camellia sinensis,” says Palmer. It’s produced by steaming or pan frying and drying the tea leaves. Green tea contains high levels of the polyphenol epigallocatechin-3 gallate (EGCG), which may reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers. Evidence shows that drinking green tea may increase thermogenesis (energy expended after eating) and stimulate fat burning due to EGCG and other catechins, according to Churnetski.
Indeed, a 2018 review of the weight loss effects of tea polyphenols finds that the combination of catechins and caffeine in green tea seems to have a minor but favorable impact on weight loss and weight maintenance.
Supplementation with green tea extract may also help with weight loss, says Churnetski. In a 2018 randomized controlled trial in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine , green tea extract was shown to increase leptin level and reduce LDL cholesterol in women living with a lot of extra weight and obesity. Leptin is a hormone involved in appetite regulation and energy balance, and leptin irregularities are linked to various conditions, such as obesity. However, this trial was a short-term study and firm conclusions cannot be drawn over the long term.
Additionally, research on the effects of green tea in individuals living with obesity indicate that consuming green tea in either beverage or capsule form may help to decrease body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference, as well as improve inflammatory biomarkers.
Consumption of matcha tea, which is tea made from powdered green tea leaves, may also help with fat burning while exercising, according to a small 2017 study in International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. However, researchers note that the effects shouldn’t be overstated.
While research around green tea and weight loss seems promising, because different studies use different amounts and forms of it, there is currently no definitive amount of consumption that is shown to directly lead to weight loss.
White Tea
Only the young leaves or growth buds from the tea leaf are used to produce white tea. Like green tea, white tea is not fermented, meaning it hasn’t been oxidized by exposing the leaves to air and humidity for a prolonged amount of time. Compared to the other main types of tea, and excluding herbal teas, white tea generally has the least caffeine content but more polyphenols, including catechins.
A 2022 Scientific Chronicles narrative review concludes that the rich polyphenol content in white tea, particularly catechins, may contribute to its health benefits, including the potential to help with weight loss. Additionally, a few small studies that this review cites suggest that combining white tea consumption with exercise may lead to significant reduction in BMI, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels while increasing HDL (good) cholesterol.
The review also notes that drinking white tea one hour before exercising may help increase fat burning in individuals living with obesity. However, researchers conclude more studies are necessary to explore the link between white tea intake and its overall health benefits.
Oolong Tea
Oolong tea is produced by wilting, bruising and partially oxidizing—or semi-fermenting—tea leaves. As a result, it falls in the middle of the oxidation spectrum in between minimally-oxidized green and white teas and fully-oxidized black tea.
Compared to green tea, there are fewer studies on the effects of oolong tea consumption on weight maintenance. However, these studies do show some beneficial effects, says Churnetski. In an earlier study conducted over a six-week period involving 102 participants living with obesity and extra weight, drinking oolong tea daily resulted in a small amount of weight loss for a majority of the participants.
In more recent research, a two-week randomized controlled trial in Nutrients suggests that drinking oolong tea may increase fat burning. However, the researchers note that a two-week trial is an insufficient time to evaluate the intervention’s effects on weight and that further research is needed.
Black tea
The production of black tea involves wilting, bruising, rolling and fully-oxidizing the tea leaves. “There are components in black tea that could support weight loss such as the levels of caffeine that naturally stimulate metabolism,” notes Churnetski.
One small study evaluated the effects of black tea on body composition in 111 participants. Over a three-month period, regular black tea consumption was found to impede weight gain and minimize waist circumference.
Another study from 2016 also touts the possible benefits of black tea, specifically the polyphenols, stating that these polyphenols may inhibit fat digestion and absorption, as well as block the obesity process by reducing oxidative stress. However, authors of this study stress the need for more specific research to better understand the mechanisms of black tea polyphenols.
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