You might love to drink tea for flavour, but apart from this, black tea may be as beneficial as green tea in promoting weight loss and preventing obesity. A recent research has shown that chemicals called polyphenols, found in black tea changes energy metabolism in the liver by altering gut metabolites. Earlier, it was believed that green tea polyphenols are more effective and offer more health benefits than black tea polyphenols, since green tea chemicals are absorbed into the blood and tissue.
However, "our new findings suggest that black tea, through a specific mechanism through the gut microbiome, may also contribute to good health and weight loss in humans", said lead author Susanne Henning, Professor at the University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA).
"The results suggest that both green and black teas are prebiotics, substances that induce the growth of good microorganisms that contribute to a person's well-being," Henning added.
Study conducted on black tea and its weight loss effects
For the study, published in the European Journal of Nutrition, the team conducted experiments on mice that consumed a high-fat, high-sugar diets and were supplemented with green tea or black tea extracts. Both groups had lesser type of bacteria associated with obesity, but had more of bacteria associated with lean body mass.
However, only the mice that consumed black tea extract had an increase in a type of bacteria called Pseudobutyrivibrio -- which could help explain the difference between how black and green tea change energy metabolism. The findings suggest that the health benefits of both tea lie beyond their antioxidant benefits. They both have strong impacts on the gut microbiome, noted Zhaoping Li, Director at UCLA's Centre for Human Nutrition.
How black tea causes weight loss?
Black tea is often served in Chinese restaurants. Usually it is used to make iced tea. It is fermented, which is a process that allows it to change chemically and often increases its caffeine content. This tea has a strong distinct flavour. The polyphenols in black tea might help block fat from being absorbed in the intestines. However, adding milk might curb it’s fat-blocking abilities. So be careful when you add milk to your black tea.
