If you’re looking to jumpstart your weight loss journey, you may be wondering what the best type of green tea is for helping you achieve your goals.
There are many different types and brands of green tea on the market, so it can be difficult to determine which one is right for you.
In this article, we will discuss our top 4 picks for the best green tea for weight loss. We’ll also provide some tips on how to make the most of these teas’ weight loss benefits.
Table of Contents
Quick Primer on Green Tea and Weightloss
There are 2 main compounds in green tea that science has shown can help with weight loss
- Caffeine
- Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG)
In studies researching caffeine consumption, they determined that caffeine can increase your metabolic rate by 3 to 7% depending on the study!
Many studies include the effects of both caffeine and EGCG together. One such study found that 100-460mg of EGCG plus 80-300 mg of caffeine per day over 12 weeks have resulted in significant reductions in body fat.
Let’s look at some of this science around EGCG. One study showed that 90 mg of EGCG and 50 of Caffeine resulted in increases in energy expenditure that wasn’t explained by caffeine. In a few studies, this amounts to an extra 3-4% of your energy intake or an extra 60-80 calories spent per day for a person consuming a 2000-calorie diet. It doesn’t sound like a lot but interestingly enough it’s a similar amount of calories saved from eating a high protein diet.
Now that we know the basic science let’s get into our picks!
What Are the Best Green Teas for Weight Loss?
Best For Caffeine Content – ACTA Caffeine Increased Ceremonial Matcha
Overview
Looking for an extra caffeine kick? ACTA matcha energy tea has your back! Sourced from Kagoshima, Japan, their matcha green tea packs twice the punch of regular tea – it’s the strongest tea on the market. Not only does consuming their green tea give you a useful surge in productivity, but it also provides you with antioxidants, vitamins and double the caffeine of regular green tea.
Benefits
- 2x caffeine content of regular matcha (170mg)
- 2x L-Theanine content of regular matcha
- Boosted Clarity and Focus from caffeine and L-Theanine
- Flexible preparation – Powdered Form
- Premium Quality – Sourced from Japan
- Packed with antioxidants, amino acids, vitamins
Pricing
- $24.95 – 40g
- $22.46 – 40g/month
Bottom Line
If you like green tea and are looking for a caffeinated boost, ACTA Caffeine Increased Matcha might be the ideal choice for you! This delicious green tea variety has double the caffeine compared to other traditional green teas, making it a great option if your goal is to lose weight while having the benefits of caffeine. Not only that, many believe that Matcha can be beneficial in weight management due to its antioxidant content, so why not get better results with double the caffeine?
Best For Caffeine & EGCG – Davids Gyokuro Yamashiro Organic Tea
Overview
Japanese gyokuro green tea is great for its high content of caffeine and EGCG content(85mg per cup). While other teas also boast this health benefit, Japanese gyokuro contains high amounts of both that make it an incredibly effective fat oxidation agent. Can’t get enough of green tea? Then switch up your traditional English variety for an energizing cup of Japanese gyokuro! It might just be the fat-burning answer you’ve been looking for.
Benefits
- Higher ECGC quantities
- High Caffiene Content
- Organic
- 1-2 Minute Steep Time
- 4.7/5 Rating
- Loose leaf
Pricing
- $23.98 – 50g
- $47.96 – 100g
- $199.90 – 250g
Bottom Line
Gyokuro green tea from Japan is the way to go if you’re looking for a safe and effective way to top off your weight loss strategy. Unlike loose-leaf teas from China, gyokuro from Japan has far less lead content, making it a much healthier option. Additionally, its high concentration of catechins (250mg) which 1/3 is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and makes it particularly advantageous for those seeking to shed some extra pounds. While there are numerous ways out there to combat an expanding waistline, taking advantage of the healthy properties found in quality green tea is an easy and accessible choice. Investing in a loose-leaf variety like gyokuro will ensure that you can consume your green tea with confidence – no need to worry about any unwanted heavy metals poisoning your cup!
Best Organic Choice – Encha Matcha
Overview
Looking for an organic matcha green tea brand that will help you to lose weight? Look no further than Encha green tea. From their certified organic farm in Uji, Japan, only the best hand-harvested matcha reaches your door with a vibrant and intense emerald-green color that instantly lets you know its quality. It’s also 100% USDA organic if that helps you make a choice.
Benefits
- 10 times the antioxidants of brewed green tea
- Full-bodied | Delicate grassy flavor | Not overly bitter
- Handpicked matcha tea leaves
- No Pesticides or synthetic fertilizers
- 60 mg of caffeine
- 24 mg of theanine
Pricing
- $19.90 – 30g
- $16.32 – 30g/month
Bottom Line
Encha ceremonial grade matcha tea is a healthy drink if you still want high levels of caffeine, L-Theanine, and EGCG benefits while knowing you are consuming something organic and pesticide free. This Japanese green tea powder is perfect for those who are a bit squeamish about foods and beverages that are not organic.
Best Budget Choice – Kirkland Signature Original Green Tea
Overview
Drinking Kirkland green tea is a great choice for anyone looking to stay on a budget and savor the flavor! Not only is it affordable, but drinking green tea may help reduce belly fat and support weight loss. And not needing to worry about loose-leaf tea being available or having loose-leaf tea equipment makes drinking green tea even easier and more convenient. All you need to do is grab a few of the green tea bags and brew them up in no time — you’re ready to enjoy the flavor while your body takes advantage of the many benefits drinking green tea can provide.
Benefits
- Simple steeping with a prepacked tea bag
- Sencha and Matcha blend
- Nylon bags for optimum water flow and antioxidant extraction when brewing
- Medium caffeine content
- Sourced from Japan (preventing high lead content in your cup via China)
Pricing
- 20.99 for 100 tea bags
Bottom Line
Kirkland tea is a great choice if you’re looking for an affordable tea with a great flavor that can burn fat and potential weight loss benefits. It might not be as effective as other tea brands when it comes to shedding pounds, but drinking green tea every day can still help make a difference in your overall health. You can increase its weight loss impact by consuming it more often, which is why Kirkland green tea is such an excellent choice – quality tea while still keeping your budget intact. The best part is that you know that you can feel safe consuming this product since it’s sourced from Japan which is less likely to contain lead than other countries like China.
What are Green Teas for Weight Loss?
Choosing the right green tea option is the icing on the cake when trying to achieve your weight loss goals. Matcha green tea, also known as green tea powder, is just one of the many varieties available and is probably the best option due to its high levels of catechins and caffeine. If matcha isn’t feasible for you, then Gyokuro or Sencha teas are great options as well. When considering which green tea option works best for you, just remember that while it can give you an added boost on your journey, there isn’t any substitute for making sure that you have all your fundamentals in place first.
Should I Drink Green Tea for Weight Loss?
Drinking green tea for weight loss should be thought of as one extra piece of the puzzle to improve your chances of losing weight. Consuming green tea shouldn’t be the only thing that you are doing on your weight loss journey. You should look at drinking green tea to squeeze out every ounce of potential weight loss after you’ve learned how to take care of everything else. Make sure you have the exercise, food, and sleep habits managed first, and then once you have those organized you can add this last piece in to maximize your returns. If you are unsure of where to start we can build you an amazing fitness program to make sure that you have your fundamentals figured out.
If you are worried about things like lead then go with a more premium loose-leaf tea from Japan. If you are most worried about losing weight then choose something with high caffeine and/or EGCG. If you are worried about price then look at something from a larger manufacturer like Kirkland
Is Organic Green Tea Better For Me?
With organic green tea becoming an increasingly healthy and popular drink choice, people are starting to question if organic tea is actually superior in quality compared to its regular counterpart. But finding the answer can be tricky since everyone has different preferences when it comes to taste. Organic green tea does provide a number of benefits–it’s safe for consumption due to being grown without the use of pesticides, it may have more antioxidants depending on how the tea is grown, and often the loose leaves are fresher than regular green tea coming from a bag or large canister. At the end of the day, it all depends on the specific produce-growing conditions of each individual tea plant.
Caffeine Risks With Drinking Green Tea
Caffeine has long been associated with health benefits in moderate doses. Caffeine gives us an energy boost to help combat that mid-afternoon lull or get through a tough workout, which is why many of us turn to caffeinated beverages and snacks throughout the day. That said, consuming more than 400mg of caffeine can have its downfalls and put you at risk for headaches, shakiness, trouble sleeping, and an increased heart rate. Unless you’re using your cup of green tea as part of a weight loss plan formulated by a dietician or other professional health care provider, it’s best to incorporate green tea within your day without going over the 400mg limit. Pay close attention to serving sizes so you can reap the benefits of caffeine in your everyday life without putting yourself at risk!
How to Make The Most of Green Teas Weight Loss Benefits
Here is a quick list of guidelines for getting the most out of your green tea weight loss regimen
- To get the right tea temperature, bring the water to a barely rolling boil for green tea as per bigelow
- The perfect steep time is 3-5 minutes. 3 minutes for flavor or 5 minutes for caffeine extraction. According to a 2008 study if you brew for 5 minutes you can more than double the caffeine content in your cup.
- When tea is in a larger pyramid shaped bag, more water swells into the tea leaves and extracts more desirable compounds such as caffeine, L-Theanine, and EGCG.
- For example, drinking 1-3 cups per day of Gyokuro tea that is steeped for 5 minutes just before a rolling boil, from a pyramid-shaped bag will help you reach similar results that they have found in the studies we post above.
Conclusion
Deciding on the right way to lose weight is challenging. In fact, at some point, it might be smart to go over the differences between weight loss and fat loss so know which one you want to target. However, if you want to focus on green tea, luckily there are some delicious options to choose from. If you’re looking for a big caffeine boost, ACTA Matcha has you covered. Looking for something organic? Encha Matcha is made with organic green tea and is pesticide free. Bigelow is great if you’re on a budget, while the richness of Gyokuro green tea is perfect for those wanting a great blend of caffeine and antioxidants that burn fat. Whichever tea you choose, all four options have potential benefits in aiding your weight loss journey. If you’ve got this part down or are curious about any other fitness tips, talk to a trainer to organize the rest of your health goals and you’ll be well on your way to the body of your dreams.
