3. Black tea may help to improve weight loss efforts
A study of mice has shown that black tea could promote weight loss by changing gut bacteria. The researchers showed that black tea changes the energy metabolism in the liver by altering gut metabolites.1✅ JOURNAL REFERENCE
DOI: 10.1007/s00394-017-1542-8
The study revealed that both green and black tea changed the intestinal bacteria ratio in the mice: There was a reduction in the percentage of bacteria related to obesity, while there was an increase in bacteria related to lean body mass.
The results show that the polyphenols in black tea stimulate gut bacterium growth as well as the formation of short-chain fatty acids, a kind of bacterial metabolite that’s been shown to change the energy metabolism in the liver.
The results indicate that black tea could also contribute to weight loss in people via a certain process through the gut microbiome.
Another study has shown that individuals who consumed 3 cups of black tea daily gained less weight and reduced their waistlines after 3 months, in comparison to individuals who didn’t consume black tea. There was however no evidence that these results were sustained after the 3 months, suggesting that short-term consumption of black tea regularly for 3 months can help to improve body weight and distribution of body fat.2✅ JOURNAL REFERENCE
DOI: 10.1039/c4fo00209a
