Tea and Weight Loss

Green tea appears to speed up calorie burning, including fat calorie burning, according to researchers from the University of Geneva in Switzerland. The study authors report that, compared with placebo, treatment with green tea was associated with a "significant increase" (+4%) in daily energy expenditure. They believe that the caffeine interacts with the flavonoids in tea to alter the body's use of norepinephrine, a chemical transmitter in the nervous system, and increase the rate of calorie burning (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, November 1999).

Thirty-eight men were assigned to one of two groups, and were asked to drink a bottle of oolong tea daily, containing either 22mg or 690mg
of catechins. After twelve weeks the high catechin group showed a significant reduction in body mass index, waist circumference and body-fat mass compared with the low dose group. (Am J Clin Nutr 2005; 81: 122-9).