People continue to sling their ‘miraculous’ weight loss teas on the internet that are touted to help you lose stubborn kilos.
Some of the world’s largest internet stars promote the hot drink on their social media accounts, claiming it helps suppresses your appetite.
Drinking a cup of tea everyday to help lose weight sounds all too good to be true – but does it actually work?
Here, Australian consumer watchdog CHOICE have consulted with three experts who gave their verdict on whether skinny teas are worth your hard earned cash.
People continue to sling their ‘miraculous’ weight loss teas on the internet that are touted to help you lose stubborn kilos
Although these drinks are popular, searching through medical literature there isn’t much that has been published about how effective they are.
Associate Professor Ken Harvey from Monash University’s School of Public Health and Preventative Medicine went straight to the point.
‘There’s really no such thing as a tea that helps you lose weight. It’s the usual story – if it’s too good to be true, it usually is,’ he said.
Professor Harvey explained that if you’re drinking them alongside exercise and a healthy diet, then you may experience short-term effects.
But they will only last if you stick with your diet and exercise regime.
‘There’s really no such thing as a tea that helps you lose weight. It’s the usual story – if it’s too good to be true, it usually is,’ he said
Certain teas even include disclaimers similar to ‘this tea can only help slimming or weight control when used in conjunction with a controlled low calorie diet’
Certain teas even include disclaimers similar to ‘this tea can only help slimming or weight control when used in conjunction with a controlled low calorie diet,’ which would support his argument.
Although Professor Harvey thinks they have absolutely no effect at all, other experts think they may have some small benefit.
Melanie McGrice, accredited practising dietitian and spokesperson for the Dietitians Association of Australia told CHOICE that weight loss can depend on a variety of things.
‘What works can depend on what is causing an individual’s weight problems. Most of these teas have next to no kilojoules, so if a person is swapping out a highly calorific drink such as juice for a slimming tea then you’re going to achieve weight loss as a result,’ she explained.
Clare Collins, professor of nutrition and dietetics at the University of Newcastle, said weight loss teas could have a placebo effect, which could work positively.
‘If splurging on a box of fancy tea bags helps you to commit to eating a healthy diet until the box is empty, you will have made a positive change to your lifestyle,’ she said.
To save your cash, she recommends buying regular green or black tea and spend the money on fruits and vegetables instead.