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Expert reveals green tea trick that'll burn more calories than a 20 minute daily walk & is way cheaper than Mounjaro
FANCY torching extra calories without breaking a sweat or spending hundreds on the latest slimming jab?
According to TV medic Dr Michael Mosley, the secret could be hiding in your kitchen cupboard and it costs pennies a cup.
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In tonight's episode of Channel 4's Michael Mosley: Secrets of the Superagers, the doctor travels to New York's Chinatown to try one of China's most prized brews.
According to Michael, scientists think green tea could give your metabolism a serious lift.
'It certainly does seem to have an impact on metabolic rate,' Michael said.
'In one Thai study, overweight volunteers who took a small dose of green tea extract before each meal saw the amount of energy they burned at rest go up by about 60 calories a day.
"That's roughly the same as walking for 20 minutes, without leaving the sofa.'
It might not sound like much, but those extra calories add up and when combined with other healthy habits could mean a slimmer waistline without the need for pricey injections like Mounjaro.
The tea shown in the episode is bilou chun tea, which is a famous Chinese green tea originating from the Dongting mountain region
It is available for purchase on Amazon for £8.95.
Green tea is particularly good as it is processed differently to your average black tea.
Soon after the leaves are picked, they're pan-fried or steamed, which stops oxidation and keeps them vibrant green.
That process locks in flavour compounds called catechins, which is thought to work with caffeine to nudge the nervous system into burning more energy.
Green tea contains up to four times more catechins than your average cup of builder's.
Green tea matcha KitKats are coming to the UK
While most studies have used green tea in pill form, Michael says sipping one or two cups a day should give you a similar hit of these metabolism-boosting compounds.
The added bonus is that it is virtually calorie free and costs £2.75 a box in Iceland, so you can save your pennies from Ozempic.
Studies have linked the grassy green liquid to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and even slowed biological ageing.
Nutritionists warn it's not a magic bullet, but if you're after a cheap, simple way to support weight loss, swapping your usual brew for green tea could be a small change with big benefits.
As Michael put it: 'If you want to burn through the calories that little bit quicker, green tea might just be the tonic.'
The episode airs at 8pm this evening.
It was filmed prior to the star's death, at age 67, last year.
The cause of death was ruled as "unascertainable" but likely linked to heatstroke or a non-identified medical condition.
Does drinking green tea have other health benefits?
Dr Mellor previously told The Sun, it has been suggested that green tea contains beneficial plant compounds with antioxidant properties called polyphenols.
Epicatechins and an amino acid that is not found in protein called l-theanine are both mentioned.
Test tube studies on polyphenols have "mistakenly linked their antioxidant functions in the test tube with health benefits", Dr Mellor said.
But he noted that "in humans, this effect is far less clear".
Some studies suggest that l-theanine can help people to relax and be in a calm state of alertness, the dietitian said.
"However, currently the evidence in not conclusive and therefore no health claims can be legally made when marketing green tea."
As for Prof Kuhnle, he said green tea might be linked to better memory and heart health.
"Green tea does contain a group of compounds – flavanols – which can reduce the risk of cardio-vascular disease, so there is a likely health benefit," he told The Sun.
Writing for The Conversation, he discussed a study he helped conduct which that people who eat lots of flavanol-rich foods may have better memory compared to those who have a low intake.
Previous research also found that people with a low intake of flavanols were at higher risk of heart disease, Dr Kuhnle added.
How often should I drink green tea?
Prof Kunle said you would need to consume about two to three cups of green tea per day to reap its flavonol benefits.
As for Dr Mellor, he said: "It's fine to drink 2-4 cups per day."
