The #1 Drink for Weight Loss, Recommended by a Dietitian

From lemon water to apple-cider vinegar shots, there is an endless number of trendy drinks that social media influencers claim will help you lose weight fast. Not to mention the large market for "weight-loss teas." Unfortunately, when it comes to losing weight, there isn't a single food or beverage that works like magic. The smartest approach to weight loss is multifactorial—including lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean protein on your plate, exercising regularly and adopting healthy sleep habits.

If eating healthier and losing weight is one of your goals, maximizing your calories by choosing nutrient-dense foods is a great place to start. Sugary beverages are high in calories but offer little to no additional nutritional value, unlike nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Plus, sugary drinks also do not provide the same feeling of fullness as solid foods. And most people don't compensate for those liquid calories by eating less food, according to a 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

So, what should you be sipping on if weight loss is your goal? Green tea! Read on to find out why.

Weight Loss Benefits of Green Tea

Tea is the second most widely consumed beverage in the world after water. There are two main categories of tea: true teas and herbal teas. True teas, which include green, oolong, black and white teas, are all made from the leaves of the same plant, the Camellia sinensis plant, while herbal teas are made from the spices, flowers and leaves of edible, non-tea plants.

Although all teas offer potential health benefits, here is why green tea wins out as our No. 1 drink for weight loss.

Helps You Consume Less Added Sugar

Regularly consuming too many sugar-sweetened beverages could come with a slew of negative health effects, such as weight gain, type 2 diabetes and arthritis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Swapping out a sugar-sweetened beverage for something like unsweetened green tea is an excellent strategy for reducing your added sugar intake.

Swapping higher-calorie beverages like a sweetened coffee drink for an unsweetened tea can effectively reduce your total calorie intake. Americans consume an average of 145 calories from sugar-sweetened beverages daily, so choosing a drink with much less sugar can make a big difference over time, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

May Boost Metabolism and Improve Exercise Recovery

True teas all contain some level of catechins, a naturally occurring polyphenol linked to increased metabolism and stimulating the body to break down fat for energy, per a 2020 review in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. Green tea contains the highest levels of catechins. The most well-known and abundant catechin in green tea is called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).

Green tea (and EGCG specifically) may benefit weight loss by increasing your energy expenditure. In a study with middle-aged men and women, tea catechins significantly increased the participants' energy expenditure compared to the control group, according to 2020 research published in the European Journal of Nutrition. Burning more calories during the day could help you lose weight. In another study, researchers in Korea found that women who drank four or more cups of green tea daily had a 44% lower risk of abdominal obesity, according to a 2022 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health,

Green tea may help with exercise recovery, so you may feel more motivated to get your workout in. The antioxidants in green tea may help reduce the stress and inflammatory response after exercise, which could mean a quicker recovery, according to a 2022 review published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Contains Energy-Boosting Caffeine

The weight loss benefits from green tea may be tied to the combination of EGCG and caffeine, although the research is not clear on this mechanism. Caffeine is a naturally occurring stimulant that can help you feel more alert and enhance exercise performance. Researchers do believe that tea consumption in the amounts of 3-4 cups per day influences body weight reduction, possibly from the synergistic effect of the polyphenols and caffeine, according to a 2021 review published in Physiological Research.

Potential Side Effects

Green tea extract is a popular ingredient in many weight-loss supplements and products. According to the National Institutes of Health, green tea supplements have been associated with potential adverse effects like constipation, nausea, liver damage and increased blood pressure. However, no safety concerns are reported for consuming green tea as a beverage.

Difficulty Sleeping

One 8-ounce cup of green tea contains about 30 mg of caffeine, which is far less than the 90 to 100 mg of caffeine in a typical cup of coffee. However, choosing a decaffeinated green tea may be a better option if you are more sensitive to caffeine, since caffeine can potentially interrupt how much sleep you get at night. Sleep deprivation or disrupted sleep can alter your body's hunger hormones—increasing ghrelin, the hormone that tells you to eat, and decreasing leptin, the hormone that tells you you're full, according to a 2022 review study published in Nutrients.

May Interfere with Iron Absorption

Green tea contains natural compounds called tannins and oxalates, and it has been widely accepted that tannins interfere with the body’s ability to absorb iron. In addition, the polyphenols in tea are believed to interfere with iron absorption, according to a 2024 update published in NIH StatPearls. A decrease in iron levels can cause your energy level to plummet, making you feel more tired than usual—this may impact your ability to get your daily physical activity, which could interfere with weight loss efforts.

The Bottom Line

Although the effects of drinking green tea for weight loss are likely small, it still offers some health benefits beyond plain water. If weight loss is your goal, consider sipping on some green tea, as it can keep you hydrated, supply an energy boost from caffeine and provide powerful antioxidants in the form of catechins. There are also some potential negative side effects from consuming green tea that can interfere with weight loss, including difficulty sleeping. If you are considering starting a weight loss plan, see a registered dietitian or speak with your physician to see if adding green tea is right for you and your goals.