When it comes to weight loss the first two things that come into our mind are dieting and exercise. But if you are a person who is way too lazy to follow these methods strictly then there is a piece of good news for you!
A new study has found that having a type of Chinese traditional tea can help burn belly fat even when you are asleep. Researchers from the University of Tsukuba in Japan have found that drinking just two cups of oolong tea, can boost up the fat burning process in the body, even while a person is asleep.
Like all the other teas, oolong tea has caffeine, which boosts the metabolism, increases our heart rate, reduces stress and gives a kick for the day. But this tea has an added benefit, it increases the breakdown of fat, apart from the effects of caffeine.
The traditional Chinese tea made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, the same plant from green tea and black are made. The difference is in how the tea is processed. The oxidation is what creates the change, Oolong tea is a partially oxidized one.
How Oolong tea helps in weight loss
For the study, a group of healthy volunteers was made to consume oolong and others were made to drink caffeine to evaluate energy and fat metabolism. The participants were observed for two weeks, it was found that both oolong tea and pure caffeine increased the fat breakdown by 20 percent as compared to those who took a placebo.
Another interesting finding was the positive effects oolong tea had on the body were sustained throughout the night. Neither the oolong tea group nor the pure caffeine group experienced an increase in energy expenditure. This indicated that the participants might develop a tolerance to the stimulatory effects of both the teas.
Scientists believe that some of the polyphenols (micronutrients) in oolong tea may improve metabolism and decrease the amount of fat absorbed from the food a person eats. Polyphenol antioxidants are also thought to activate enzymes that help to use stored fat for energy.
There were no major changes seen in either group’s sleep pattern or in the time they took to fall asleep, despite the fact that caffeine is a sleep disruptor. Lack of sleep can disturb the metabolism, which helps in breaking down the food and use it as energy, which can lead to weight gain over time. Oolong tea had no negative side effects on the participant’s sleep.
Even though oolong tea can help to burn fat during sleep and thus help to control body weight, it’s unclear if these effects can actually lead to fat loss over a prolonged period of time. As there is no harm in drinking the tea one can try it for an extended period of time.
