Tea Varieties and their Weight Loss Effects

There are many tea varieties. Some teas have fat burning effects.

Buying tea these days can be confusing. There are many tea varieties and a lot of misinformation surrounding them. Some teas are good for weight loss and some aren't. Knowing your tea varieties can therefore help save time and money and keep your fat burning efforts moving in the right direction.  Many teas also promote health and can significantly reduce the risk of disease. This beneficial health effect may reflect their high antioxidant levels.

Black Tea

Tea is a drink made from the Camellia sinensis plant. This plant is rich in antioxidants called catechins. Black tea is made by fermenting the leaves of the tea plant. This converts some of the catechins to tannins, producing the distinctive taste. Black tea contains caffeine which has fat burning effects. Black tea also contains theanine. Theanine in tea is also beneficial in weight loss, and black tea is the richest source.

Green Tea

Green tea is the king of fat burners. Studies attest to the fat burning effects of green tea. Green tea is made from the same plant as black tea, but the leaves are steamed rather than fermented. Like black tea, green tea contains caffeine which has a fat burning effect. However, green tea also contains catechins that can enhance the fat burning effects of caffeine. The theanine in green tea may also contribute to the weight loss effects of green tea.

White Tea

To the Chinese white tea is a special variety of tea harvested only from the Fujian province. To other countries white tea is made only from the bulbs and young leaves of tea plants. Either way, white tea has as much caffeine as both black and green tea. However its higher concentrations of catechin make it a superior fat burner compared to black tea. Theanine is also present as with black and green tea, and this contributes to the fat burning reputation of white tea.

Oolong Tea

Chances are you may not have heard of oolong tea unless you live in Asia. Oolong tea is halfway between black tea and green tea. This is because oolong tea is only partially fermented. It retains some of the catechins of green tea but has some of the tannins of black tea. Oolong tea has a similar caffeine and theanine content to both black and green tea. Because oolong tea retains some of the catechins of green tea it has better fat burning properties than black tea.

Red Bush Tea

Red bush tea is also called rooibos tea. Red bush tea is not made from the Camellia sinensis plant. Instead it is made from the Aspalathus linearis plant, and is naturally caffeine free. The tea comes from South Africa and is a good source of antioxidants. Because of this it has a number of health benefits. However, fat burning is not one of them. Feel free to drink rooibos for its antioxidants, but don't expect any weight loss effects.

Dandelion Tea

Dandelion tea has some very interesting weight loss properties. Drinking dandelion tea causes rapid weight loss in most people. However, the reason for this has nothing to do with fat burning. Dandelion is a diuretic, and so regular consumption causes a loss of body water. This is the reason that dandelion appears in many weight loss products. If you see a fat burner with dandelion in it, walk away as it is nothing but snakeoil.

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