Watching your weight in a food-abundant world is a challenge — so we need an edge.
Pounding down sugar-free energy drinks is one way to lose weight without eating, but like sugary snacks, they send you soaring and then crashing. It’s unhealthy.
Instead, why not try a natural and healthy option like one of the appetite-suppressant teas that I will introduce in this guide?
Since ancient times, teas have been used as a remedy for hunger. And modern science is now backing up the weight loss benefits of various types of teas and herbal tisanes.
Delicious, nutritious, and wholesome, these six appetite-suppressing teas are a slimming addition to a healthy diet!
How Teas Can Help Control Your Appetite
Before we go into the different types of teas that you can use to manage your food cravings, let’s see what makes you feel hungry in the first place.
What Causes the Feeling of Hunger?
Hunger is a signal that our bodies need fuel.
The biology is complicated, but hunger starts in the stomach with a hormone called gastrin that controls contractions in our gastrointestinal tract.
Aptly named because it stimulates gastric motility — the churning movement that breaks down food and moves it through the intestines — it causes the uncomfortable feeling we know as hunger.
A second hormone, ghrelin, signals the brain when our stomachs are empty, and together, these two substances regulate physical hunger, but there’s more to it than that.
Humans are biologically programmed to eat when calories are available, making snacks hard to resist even when we’re not hungry. The next thing we know, we’re overeating, and the pounds are piling on.
How Teas Can Help Suppress Appetite
Here are four reasons why teas can be effective in controlling hunger:
Catechins
Catechins are flavonoids, naturally occurring antioxidants found in many plants, including berries, cocoa, and tea. How they work isn’t fully established, but scientists know they inhibit the pancreatic enzymes that break down fats, decreasing fat absorption and increasing satiety.
Research shows that habitual tea drinkers have significantly less body fat and a healthier waist-to-hip ratio. Tea has up to ten times more disease-fighting flavonoids than many fruits and vegetables.
Caffeine
Caffeine is a mild stimulant and a well-known appetite suppressant that gives us a burst of energy without food. Studies show that the catechins and caffeine in tea work synergistically to quell appetite, improve focus, and rev up the metabolism for fat-busting workouts.
Flavors and Aromas
Odor molecules trigger the production of hormones, like ghrelin, that tells the brain we’re full. Research indicates that adding fruity and herby tastes to food and drinks has a similar beneficial effect.
Abundant in teas, these flavors and aromas are perfect for mitigating between-meal hunger.
Sugar-Free Satisfaction
Licorice and fruit-flavored teas are naturally sweet without added sugar. Have a cup between meals instead of a snack and save the calories for better things like dessert.
6 Most Effective Teas for Controlling Appetite
Now it’s time to cut to the chase and introduce the most potent teas for suppressing your appetite.
The list below is based on both scientific research and my personal experience of experimenting with hundreds of different types of teas over the years.
1. Yerba Mate
Yerba mate is a South American herbal tea popular for its stimulating qualities. Made from the leaves and stems of the Ilex paraguariensis plant, it’s rich in catechins and contains even more caffeine than black tea.
Refreshing hot or cold, it has an earthy taste and an astringent herbaceous scent. Grown throughout South America, the flavor of yerba mate ranges from grassy to bitter depending on where it was grown.
Yerba mate is an effective aid in weight loss because it boosts physical performance and helps with burning belly fat. Research also shows that even moderate consumption — two cups per day — combined with other herbs increases ghrelin levels four-fold, suppressing appetite. In addition, its thermogenic properties boost fat burning during exercise.
Here is what I recommend:
Wake up early in the morning and drink some yerba mate (here are my favorite brands). I do this all the time and it really helps with forgetting the hunger so there is no need to eat breakfast.
Then do your favorite physical exercise — jogging, walking, swimming, surfing, or whatever you like to do. This will get your day started right and get your mood and energy levels up!
2. Green Tea
Green tea supports weight loss in so many ways that it’s added to many over-the-counter diet aids.
Rich in ECGC, the most abundant catechin in tea leaves, it breaks down catecholamines, neurotransmitters that stimulate hunger. It also promotes the secretion of cholecystokinin, or CCK, a peptide hormone manufactured in the small intestine that tells the brain to stop eating.
Green tea contains 30-50 mg of caffeine per cup, enough to power you through a busy afternoon without causing the jitters. Milder in flavor than yerba mate, it’s universally popular and delicious hot or cold.
Research indicates that green tea is an especially effective appetite suppressant when combined with ingredients like soluble fiber or capsaicin.
Matcha, the green tea powder favored in Japan, is also a great option that has the same beneficial properties.
3. Fenugreek Tea
Fenugreek is a lesser-known annual herb from the pea family. Similar to fennel, the tea is made from ground seeds and leaves. An ingredient in curry powder, it has a bold nutty taste and rich aroma coffee drinkers enjoy.
Fenugreek extract has been shown to suppress hunger by promoting the feeling of fullness, reducing hunger cravings, and slowing carbohydrate and fat absorption due to its soluble fiber and galactomannan content. Other health benefits include lower LDL cholesterol and a decreased incidence of diabetes.
Recommended by herbalists to control blood sugar swings, a three-year trial showed that fenugreek may slow the progression of prediabetes, a risk factor for weight gain.
4. Ginger Tea
If you’re sensitive to caffeine, make ginger tea your go-to fill-me-up between meals. Few spices have been as extensively researched and proven safe.
Used for generations to control hunger and treat medical issues from inflammation to hypertension, it has a pleasant, familiar flavor that nearly everyone appreciates.
Ginger tea helps suppress appetite by increasing feelings of fullness and reducing hunger cravings, thanks to its active compound gingerol, which stimulates digestion and regulates appetite hormones.
A recent study of overweight men assessed the effects of ginger tea on their appetite. Subjects found they felt fuller and consumed fewer calories at mealtime after sipping a hot ginger beverage.
An analysis of similar studies confirms that ginger reduces body weight and waist-to-hip ratio without the adverse effects of caffeine.
5. Peppermint Tea
Peppermint tea has stomach-soothing properties, but less is known about its ability to suppress your appetite. A 2013 study showed that taking peppermint capsules reduced hunger, but research is limited.
Hot drinks like tea, however, inherently help with weight loss efforts by keeping you better hydrated. With a low-calorie alternative sweetener like stevia, peppermint tea is a comforting, candy-like treat that can also relieve common digestive problems like constipation.
Its scent, however, is where the real weight loss power of peppermint resides. The fragrance of mint is among several, including banana, strawberry, and apple, that can trick the brain into thinking you’ve eaten, so you’ll feel fuller faster and eat fewer calories overall.
6. Licorice Tea
Native to western Asia and the Mediterranean, licorice is a popular flavoring in confections and medicines.
Made from the root of the plant, it’s 50 times sweeter than sugar and has proven medicinal properties. Antibacterial, it’s used to treat acid reflux and respiratory infections.
But what few people know is that licorice is a powerful ally in the battle against weight gain.
Like peppermint tea, it’s a sweet something that replaces sugary, calorie-laden snacks while having a positive effect on BMI (Body Mass Index). A review of 26 studies confirmed a significant reduction in body weight among regular users.
In higher amounts, licorice can have unwanted side effects, including loose stool and high blood pressure so be careful not to drink too much. Weight control benefits, however, require only modest consumption.
Appetite Suppressant Tea FAQ
Does green tea suppress appetite?
There are studies that indicate that catechins and caffeine in green tea may help with suppressing appetite. Green tea has also been proven to have other properties that help in weight management.
Is black tea an appetite suppressant?
Black tea has a relatively high caffeine content, which may help with suppressing appetite. Recent research also indicates that black tea boosts weight loss by altering gut bacteria and might be just as effective as green tea.
What is the best herbal appetite suppressant tea?
According to research yerba mate, fenugreek tea, and ginger tea are the most effective herbal teas for suppressing the feeling of hunger.
I think that overall yerba mate is the best option for losing weight because it also boosts physical performance and promotes fat burning during exercise.
Final Thoughts on Using Teas to Suppress Appetite
Weight management is more of a journey than a destination, and there’s no better travel companion than tea. In addition to helping control your appetite and burning fat, different teas can provide you with many more benefits from boosting your immune system to improving mood and focus.
So ditch those slimming pills and other unhealthy options and use the natural appetite suppressant teas introduced in this article!
As part of a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle, it’s a great way to reach your weight loss goals.
Fasting is a popular way to burn fat more efficiently. But you might need some help with controlling your hunger.
The good news is that you can drink the teas introduced in this guide while fasting and they can help you with reaching your goals.
And remember that healthy digestion is also important so you might want to look at this guide with teas that promote regular bowel movements.
