The green tea diet plan is one of the most extremely-tested and proven weight-loss diets of all time. It has been observed by medical researchers that over 4% of effectively-proved weight loss protocols are based on the drinking of Green Tea. Follow the Green Tea Diet Plan for weight loss for free with free downloadable Ebook.
Green Tea Detox: Is It Good or Bad for You?
- What it is
- Benefits
- Downsides
- Other options
- Bottom line
Healthline Diet Score: 2.79 out of 5
Many people turn to detox diets for quick and easy ways to fight fatigue, lose weight, and cleanse their bodies.
The green tea detox is popular because it’s easy to follow and doesn’t require any major modifications to your diet or lifestyle.
However, while some promote it as a simple way to improve overall health, others dismiss it as yet another unsafe and ineffective fad diet.
This article takes a close look at the green tea detox, including whether its benefits outweigh its risks.
DIET REVIEW SCORECARD
- Overall score: 2.79
- Weight loss: 2
- Healthy eating: 3
- Sustainability: 3.75
- Whole body health: 2.5
- Nutrition quality: 3.5
- Evidence based: 2
BOTTOM LINE: While green tea is a very healthy beverage, the green tea detox is unnecessary and ineffective. Not only is it very high in caffeine, but it also may impair your nutrient absorption. As its health claims are overblown, it’s best to avoid this detox.
What is a green tea detox?
The green tea detox is advertised as a simple way to flush out harmful toxins, boost energy levels, and promote better health.
Its proponents claim that simply adding a few daily servings of green tea to your diet can clear up blemishes, enhance immune function, and increase fat burning.
Typically, a green tea detox involves adding 3–6 cups (0.7–1.4 liters) of green tea to your normal daily diet.
It doesn’t require you to avoid certain foods or reduce your calorie intake, but it’s recommended to exercise and follow a nutrient-rich diet during the detox.
Guidelines on the length of the detox vary, but it’s generally followed for several weeks.
Potential benefits
While research on the effects of the green tea detox is lacking, plenty of studies have demonstrated the benefits of green tea.
Below are a few of the potential benefits of a green tea detox.
Promotes hydration
Staying hydrated is important to many aspects of your health, as nearly every system in your body requires water to function properly.
In fact, proper hydration is essential for filtering waste, regulating your body’s temperature, promoting nutrient absorption, and helping your brain function efficiently
Green tea consists mostly of water. Thus, it can promote hydration and help you meet your daily fluid requirements.
On a green tea detox, you will likely drink 24–48 ounces (0.7–1.4 liters) of fluids each day from green tea alone.
However, green tea should not be your only source of fluids. It should be paired with plenty of water and other healthy beverages to help you stay well hydrated.
Supports weight loss
Studies show that increasing your fluid intake could aid your weight loss efforts.
One year-long study in 173 women found that drinking more water was associated with greater fat and weight loss, regardless of diet or exercises
What’s more, green tea and its components have been shown to boost weight loss and fat burning.
One study in 23 adults found that consuming green tea extract increased fat burning during exercise by 17%, compared to a placebo
Another large review of 11 studies showed that certain compounds in green tea, including plant chemicals called catechins, could decrease body weight and support weight loss maintenance
Nevertheless, these studies used highly concentrated green tea extracts.
May aid in disease prevention
Green tea contains powerful compounds that are thought to help protect against chronic disease.
Drinking green tea may also help decrease blood sugar levels. In fact, one review found that drinking at least 3 cups (237 ml) per day was associated with a 16% lower risk of developing diabetes
Additionally, some research shows that drinking green tea may be linked to lower risks of heart disease and stroke
A review of 9 studies found that people who drank at least 1 cup (237 ml) of green tea per day had a lower risk of heart disease and stroke.
That said, additional studies are needed to understand if following a short-term green tea detox can help prevent disease.
SUMMARY
Drinking green tea may help promote hydration, increase weight loss, and prevent disease. More research is needed to evaluate if a green tea detox may offer these same benefits.
Downsides
Despite the potential benefits of a green tea detox, there are downsides to consider.
Below are a few of the drawbacks associated with following a green tea detox.
High in caffeine
A single 8-ounce (237-ml) serving of green tea contains approximately 35 mg of caffeine
This is significantly less than other caffeinated beverages like coffee or energy drinks, which can contain double or even triple that amount per serving.
Nevertheless, drinking 3–6 cups (0.7–1.4 liters) of green tea per day can pile onto your caffeine intake, adding up to 210 mg of caffeine per day from green tea alone.
It’s also addictive and can cause withdrawal symptoms like headache, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and mood changes
For most adults, up to 400 mg of caffeine per day is considered safe. However, some people may be more sensitive to its effects, so consider cutting back if you experience any negative symptoms
Impaired nutrient absorption
Green tea contains certain polyphenols, such as EGCG and tannins, which can bind to micronutrients and block their absorption in your body.
Although enjoying the occasional cup of green tea is unlikely to cause nutritional deficiencies in healthy adults, a green tea detox may not be advisable for those at a higher risk of iron deficiency.
Unnecessary and ineffective
Drinking green tea can benefit your health, but the green tea detox is likely ineffective and unnecessary for weight loss and detoxification.
Your body has a built-in detox system to clear out toxins and harmful compounds.
Additionally, while a long-term, regular intake of green tea has been shown to benefit your health in many ways, drinking it for just a few weeks is unlikely to have much of an impact.
Furthermore, although adding green tea to your diet may result in small and short-term weight loss, it’s unlikely to be long-lasting or sustainable once the detox ends.
Therefore, green tea should be viewed as a component of a healthy diet and lifestyle — not part of a “detox.”
SUMMARY
Green tea contains a good amount of caffeine and polyphenols, which may impair iron absorption. A green tea detox may also be unnecessary and ineffective, especially if it’s only followed for short periods.
Other options for healthy detoxing and weight loss
Your body has a complex system to eliminate toxins, optimize your health, and prevent disease.
For example, your intestines excrete waste products, your lungs expel carbon dioxide, your skin secretes sweat, and your kidneys filter blood and produce urine
Instead of following fad diets or cleanses, it’s best to give your body the nutrients and fuel that it needs to detox itself more effectively and promote better health in the long term.
Drinking plenty of water each day, exercising regularly, and eating nutritious whole foods are simple ways to optimize your health and promote weight loss without the dangerous side effects associated with some detox diets.
Finally, while green tea can be a great addition to a balanced diet, stick to a few cups per day and be sure to pair it with other diet and lifestyle modifications for better results.
SUMMARY
Staying hydrated, following a well-rounded diet, and exercising regularly are easy ways to promote healthy weight loss and maximize your body’s natural ability to clear out toxins.
The bottom line
Green tea may boost weight loss, keep you hydrated, and protect against chronic disease.
However, drinking 3–6 cups (0.7–1.4 liters) per day on a green tea detox may impair your nutrient absorption and increase your caffeine intake. It’s also unlikely to benefit your health or weight loss efforts if only followed short term.
Green tea should be enjoyed as part of a nutritious diet — not a quick fix.
Green Tea Benefits: How to Use Green Tea for Weight Loss
Of all the green tea benefits listed on the internet, the bit about this tea being a weight loss aid is the most talked about. But what are exactly are those health properties that make many use green tea for weight loss. What exactly is green tea anyway and how is it different from black tea?
In this post you will learn:
- What is green tea?
- Green tea for weight loss: why does it work?
- Green tea for belly fat: Why and how does it work?
- How to follow a green tea weight loss plan?
- What is the green tea diet?
- How to drink green tea for weight loss?
Green Tea for Weight Loss: Why it Works
What is green tea?
This is the key difference between green tea and black tea. Amongst all kinds of tea, green tea leaves go through the least amount of oxidation process, and retains most of the original properties of the fresh tea leaves. On the other hand, black tea leaves are made to oxidise completely, transforming most of the catechins (the compound responsible for weight loss), into tannins which contribute to its distinct flavour.
How does green tea cause weight loss?
The catechins preserved in the green tea leaves, specifically epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), contribute to weight loss by boosting metabolism i.e. your body’s ability to burn fat. These catechins are also responsible for flushing out toxins from the body.
Another compound that contributes to weight loss is caffeine. Did you know that a cup of green tea has a quarter of the caffeine content than a cup of coffee? Green tea has just the right amount of caffeine to stimulate your exercise performance and help burn fat better, without inducing an superficial burst of energy that coffee gives (and takes away!).
Green Tea for Belly Fat: Why and How Does it Work?
If you remember your biology classes, you might recall a lesson on the different kinds of fat deposits in your body. Belly fat is very different from the fat in your thighs. Belly fat comes in two broad types – the subcutaneous fat settles right under the skin of your abdomen, and the dangerous visceral fat that collects around your organs. High amounts of visceral fat can cause inflammation and build a resistance to insulin, even leading to type 2 diabetes and heart conditions.
Research has proven that the catechins in green tea significantly reduce the percentage of harmful visceral fat. Amongst the many health benefits of green tea, this is the most important.
The Green Tea Diet: How to Follow the Ultimate Green Tea Weight Loss Plan?
In the green tea weight loss plan, all you have to do is the follow the green tea diet. What is that? The green tea diet is starting your day with a cup of green tea, having another cup mid morning, and one last time, in the evening.
The green tea diet can be coupled with the paleo diet, keto diet, Atkins diet, and the GM diet and improve the results of your weight loss plan.
The point to remember is that green tea is a stimulant, which means it can improve the results of your diet and overall fitness plans. There’s little to lose by just sipping green tea, and we don’t mean that in a positive way.
How to Drink Green Tea for Weight Loss?
Of the many methods out there, we found this to be the simplest and best way to make green tea:
- Add half a teaspoon of green tea leaves to a regular sized cup.
- Heat water till it just about to boil i.e you see a few tiny bubbles forming.
- Add the water to the cup and let it steep for at least a minute.
- For a stronger cup, steep longer, but don’t steep for too long. Doing this will release extra amount of tannins into the tea, making it bitter. The extra tannins can also make you feel ill.
- You can add lemon and honey to add flavour, if you like.
Last Words on Sipping Green Tea for Weight Loss
What are some common green tea side effects?
High intake of green tea can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting (rarely), diarrhea heartburn, and dizziness. This mostly due to the caffeine present. In extreme cases, green tea has been known to cause liver and kidney problems.
To maintain a healthy balance and make your weight-loss programme more productive, we recommend going off green tea every two weeks. This would prevent your body for growing resistant to its green tea weight loss effects.
What is the best time to drink green tea?
The best times to drink drink green tea between 9 and 10 in the mornings after breakfast, in between your meals throughout the day, or in the night, an hour before dinner.
Can you drink green tea on an empty stomach?
Drinking tea on an empty stomach increases stomach acid due to the tannins in the tea. Having green tea on an empty stomach could lead to headaches, nausea, vomiting, and heartburn.
How Green Tea Helps in Weight Loss
Green tea is highly effective for weight loss as it contains caffeine, high antioxidant content, and nutritional compounds called catechins. This article is a detailed explainer that tells you how green tea aids weight loss, how and when to consume it, and other health benefits that it offers.
How Can Green Tea Help You Lose Weight?
Green tea is a healthy beverage that contains flavonoids and caffeine, which help boost metabolism and contribute to weight loss. One of the most potent flavonoids in green tea is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), an antioxidant that helps speed up metabolism. EGCG and caffeine together stimulate the production of norepinephrine hormones, which trigger the breakdown of fat molecules. This process releases fat into the bloodstream that the body then metabolites.
If you are wondering about any harmful effects of caffeine in green tea, you need not worry. A cup or 230 ml of green tea has just 20 to 45 mgs of caffeine, much lesser than a cup of coffee, containing 91.8 mgs. The caffeine present in green tea improves physical performance and fat oxidation, unlike the possibility of insomnia or restlessness, a common after-effect of coffee consumption. However, do not overconsume it.
Green tea with caffeine mobilises fat present in the body, so, regular yet moderate consumption can help in reducing waist circumference, lose significant weight and get rid of belly fat. In comparison to other beverages, green tea certainly has long-lasting health and weight loss benefits.
Weight Loss Benefits Of Green Tea
Green tea not only boosts metabolism to help you lose weight, but also works in other ways for the same purpose. It is low in calories and has exceptional thermogenic properties, making it a must-have beverage in your diet.
- Aids Fat Burn During Workout: It is an excellent fat-burning, pre-workout drink, which helps accelerate weight loss. As per a study, green tea extract helped burn 17% more fat in people who consumed it along with workouts than non-drinkers.
- Stimulates Weight Loss Through Increased Fat Oxidation: As EGCG triggers increased oxidation of fat deposits in the body, it has an impact on both visceral and subcutaneous fat deposits, promoting the loss of harmful fats. It is thus a favoured weight loss drink, especially to get rid of harmful belly fat.
- Improves Digestive Health: Green tea helps in processing sugars and carbohydrates, which regulate insulin and blood sugars. Regulated blood sugar helps our body to prevent weight gain by avoiding unhealthy cravings.
- Activates Good Fat: The bio-actives in green tea help shrink white fat cells and increase brown fat, which is a healthy fat. The shrinkage triggers the release of fat cells, which the body can then utilise. The brown fat helps burn calories, prevents white fat gain, and improves insulin levels in the body.
How to Make Green Tea For Weight Loss?
Here is a green tea recipe that will help you achieve optimal health benefits
- The recommended ratio for a perfect and healthy cup of green tea is 2 gms of green tea leaves for 177 ml of water.
- Water for green tea should be neither too cold nor too hot. The ideal temperature is between 160-180 degrees.
- Let the tea brew for 2 to 3 mins. If you let it sit for longer, it will taste bitter.
- You can add some mint leaves, honey or lemon juice to make it tastier and healthier.
Expert says:
Green tea, a healthy pre-workout drink
The hormone, Catecholamine (norepinephrine and epinephrine), which helps in fat breakdown rises after exercise. Catechins in green tea delay catecholamine breakdown, allowing fat oxidation to occur for longer periods of time. Thus, green tea before exercise accelerates the fat-burning process and lasts much longer. One or two cups of green tea before your workout session can give you better weight loss results. Choose green tea with higher EGCG content as research shows that EGCG with caffeine 90 minutes before exercise dramatically boosted the fat oxidation rate during exercise.
Further, green tea may also stimulate your metabolism and enhance your endurance and attention during exercise due to the caffeine content. Lastly, the catechins present in green tea aid in muscle recovery and reduce inflammation, making it a perfect pre-workout drink.
How To Drink Green Tea For Weight Loss?
- Have green tea every day to maximise weight loss benefits.
- Loose, organic green tea is the best, followed by matcha tea, a powdered and concentrated form of green tea.
- Avoid consuming green tea right after meals as it may interfere with the absorption of nutrients.
- Do not drink green tea before sleeping as it may affect your sleep cycle.
Best Time to Drink Green Tea For Weight Loss
- You can drink about 2-3 small cups of green tea per day. If you take too much of it, it can cause diarrhoea.
- You can have one cup of green tea on an empty stomach as the first thing after you wake up. However, be mindful as a strong brew may lead to acid reflux, nausea or constipation.
- You can have another cup before a workout session if the purpose of your workout includes weight loss.
- Try to replace other drinks such as coffee or milk tea with green tea.
NOTE: It is best to consult a nutritionist before including green tea in your diet plan, as it will help you rule out any side effects.
Other Health Benefits Of Drinking Green Tea
Besides promoting weight loss, green tea provides other health benefits. Here is a list:
- Improves Brain Function:Green tea boosts brain functions such as memory, mood, vigilance, reactivity, and more. L-Theanine is an active compound in green tea that protects the brain, prevents ageing and reduces the risk of certain degenerative diseases such as dementia. It also helps relieve stress and has a calming effect on the brain.
- Lowers the Risk of Certain Cancers:The antioxidants in green tea protect against cell damage and reduce the risk of developing certain cancers such as breast cancer , prostate cancer and colorectal cancer.
- Prevents Type-2 Diabetes:Green tea helps in managing blood sugar levels in the body and insulin sensitivity. Drinking green tea helps reduce elevated insulin levels, thus preventing the risk of Type-2 diabetes. A study shows that green tea drinkers are at a 42% lower risk of getting Type-2 diabetes.
Expert says:
Say hello to Matcha!
Matcha is a powdered green tea from Japan that locals cultivate in a traditional manner. They grow the plants without sunlight for a few days and this improves the synthesis and accumulation of physiologically active chemicals such as theanine, caffeine, chlorophyll, and various types of catechins. Matcha contains at least 7 times greater available concentration of EGCG than other green teas and more antioxidants. This distinct chemical makeup and treasured flavour distinguish it from other teas, while the high amount of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds have health-promoting qualities. Matcha also has a higher caffeine content than regular green teas, giving it a distinctive scent and flavour. It helps in improving cognitive functions, and insulin sensitivity and decreases stress, oxidative stress, glucose, and lipid absorption, and slows down ageing.
- Improves Cardiovascular Health:Drinking green tea regularly reduces LDL or bad cholesterol levels in the body. This implies that green tea improves heart health and reduces the risk of various heart diseases. As per a study, those who drink green tea regularly are at a 31% lower risk of having cardiovascular diseases than those who do not.
- Increases Life Expectancy:The bioactive compounds present in green tea improve life expectancy. A study conducted on older Japanese individuals who had green tea regularly were 76% likely to live longer than those who did not.
- Reduces Bad Breath:Green tea is great for oral health and helps in the prevention of plaque formation as well as bad breath. Catechins present in green tea may prevent the growth of bacteria (Streptococcus Mutans) that contribute to bad breath.
Conclusion
Green tea is one of the healthiest beverages with benefits beyond weight loss. You may consume it regularly but in moderation for weight management. The right way to achieve the best weight loss results is through a holistic diet and exercise plan.