Humans have been consuming tea for centuries. Drinking tea is not just delicious but also possesses the ability to promote health and prevent, mitigate, and treat various disorders like obesity. A study published by Physiology Research shows that the health benefits of tea can be attributed to the presence of caffeine and other molecules. To find out if you should incorporate drinking tea for your personal weight loss goals and how it can help manage obesity, read on.
The complex nature of managing obesity
Obesity is a complex disease that often requires tailor-made approaches for the individual experiencing it. There are a myriad of ways to treat and manage obesity. Many people opt for over-the-counter and alternative medicine supplements in an attempt to shed weight. Others make the decision to overhaul their lifestyle and make strict diet changes, which can often be helpful.
There are also instances where consulting with your healthcare provider may be necessary. This is true for the case of people whose independent efforts may not be enough or for those dealing with other medical conditions that make it crucial to lose weight. In this scenario, your doctor may prescribe a medical weight loss program that evaluates your health, comorbidities, BMI, and lifestyle to find out what will work best for you. This may also involve comparing prescription weight loss medications like Saxenda vs. Wegovy , both of which have been approved by the FDA for the treatment of obesity. Wegovy involves a weekly injection, whereas Saxenda involves a daily one. Your doctor will help you decide which medication is best depending on your medical history, insurance coverage, and preference.
On the other hand, if you are experiencing obesity-related eating disorders, behavior modification with the help of a psychotherapist may be more appropriate. Behavior change focuses on the root of unhealthy dietary habits. Over the long term, a number of obese adults who lose weight may regain it if they don’t alter their approach to healthy eating. One way to modify such behavior is by keeping a food journal. Journals keep track of what you ate, where you ate it, and when you got hungry. This way you can figure out what triggers episodes of overeating so you can determine what to change. In this regard, a counselor or psychologist may be helpful to learn more about behavior modification techniques.
Managing obesity with tea
While there are bodies of research that back up the science behind drinking tea to manage obesity, companies have taken advantage of this by marketing weight loss teas. As we covered in our previous article on weight loss teas, these teas often combine caffeine with a diuretic and a laxative, causing you to lose water weight rather than actual fat. Instead, you should drink natural teas that yield far more benefits.
Research co-authored by food scientist Adriana Kolesarova highlights that plant molecules present in tea can be efficient for the prevention and treatment of metabolic disorders such as metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Tea has also been found to reduce fat storage and support a healthy gut microbiome. Furthermore, the consumption of tea can help manage obesity by reducing appetite, food consumption and absorption, and enacting changes in fat metabolism. Here are some teas you can try in order to better manage obesity:
Green tea: A study from The Journal of Functional Foods reports that green tea can modify gut microbiota and benefit high-fat-diet-induced obesity. Green tea was shown to slow down the weight gain of pre-obese mice via continuous consumption.
White tea: Another investigation published by the Journal of Health Research showed that the intake of white tea tends to maintain body weight while improving endurance for physical activity.
It is necessary to keep in mind, that the anti-obesity effects of tea can be expressed only by intensive consumption of large amounts (3–6 cups of strong drink daily). Overall, there is no miracle cure for obesity. Effective treatment entails medical interventions, lifestyle modifications, and reliance on scientific methods rather than blindly following fads from
the internet.