Is green tea really 'nature's Ozempic'? Here's what we know about how it helps weight loss (2024)

Viral TikToks claim that green tea helps with weight loss, with some calling it “nature’s Ozempic.” The beverage’s link with health goes back centuries, and today, the demand for matcha has resulted in a global shortage. But can drinking up to five cups a day shed pounds like GLP-1 agonists, as some TikTokers maintain?

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According to Vancouver-based registered dietitian Desiree Nielsen, the research is inconsistent, and the effects are “generally quite tiny.”

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“Anytime someone leads with this kind of grandiose statement, you have to expect it’s not entirely accurate. But when people say that green tea is like Ozempic, that kernel of truth is that we do have research — largely lab-based data, so animal data and cell studies — that suggests that green tea might affect hunger signalling hormones — so things like ghrelin — or potentially augment appetite or potentially increase thermogenesis, which is the amount of energy the body uses. It also may impact fat accumulation.”

Nielsen adds that this sounds promising in theory, but these theories need to be tested in studies done on humans. The body of research shows a statistically significant trend toward green tea supporting weight and cardiometabolic health, but the results aren’t clinically significant. “Meaning: Yes, we see this trend, but what’s the real-world impact?”

She cites one meta-analysis in which weight loss ranged from 0.3 to five kilograms (roughly 11 ounces to 11 pounds). In another, the mean difference was 1.78 kilograms (just shy of four pounds), and, in an important distinction, this was after taking green tea extract (a concentrated source of catechins, potent antioxidants) — not drinking green tea.

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In contrast, according to a study published this summer in JAMA Internal Medicine, patients taking GLP-1 drugs containing tirzepatide (Mounjaro and Zepbound) lost roughly 21 per cent of their body weight in 72 weeks; those taking semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy) lost around 15 per cent in 60 weeks.

“So it is completely incorrect to say that green tea is like Ozempic because Ozempic typically produces quite large changes in weight,” says Nielsen.

It may not be a substitute for GLP-1 drugs, but “green tea is fantastic,” she adds. It’s high in polyphenols such as the catechin EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), which research suggests could affect various conditions, including skin disorders and stroke risk. Nielsen cites another meta-analysis that found an association between drinking five cups of green tea and reduced risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.

“There’s actually a lot of research to support the fact that green tea is good for us. Where the problem lies is when unscrupulous providers or influencers on the internet start to make really bold claims. So people who are struggling with their weight or looking for solutions jump on something like green tea, and when it doesn’t work as they expect, which will inevitably happen, they tend to blame themselves and not the person who oversold the benefits of this one food.”

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Green tea has been used medicinally for thousands of years in China, says Vancouver-based tea sommelier and Chinese tea master Claudia Tse. But she wouldn’t go so far as to compare it to Ozempic and similar drugs. In ancient times, green tea was used to aid digestion and believed to have anti-inflammatory properties (which contemporary scientific studies also suggest). As Chinese acupuncturist and herbalist Li Shizhen wrote in the Ming Dynasty, “Tea is cold and lowers the fire.”

One of the main reasons for green tea’s longstanding link to health is that out of the six tea groups (white, green, yellow, oolong, black and pu-erh), it’s the most nutrient-rich, says Tse. “It’s a tea type that hasn’t gone through oxidation, so most of the nutrients in the tea leaf are being retained versus the other tea types that have been oxidated.”

There are many compelling reasons to drink green tea, but for Tse, it comes down to the energy from the caffeine and the taste, especially when it’s freshly harvested. “Even after a few more weeks, the taste is already different. That’s why people go crazy about, ‘I have to get that pre-Qingming spring harvest green tea’ because you do taste a very fresh, very vibrant, very elusive type of taste from this fresh green tea.”

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Suggesting that green tea is a stand-in for Ozempic “casts a negative shadow on what is an incredibly healthful beverage,” highlights Nielsen. “If someone enjoys green tea, enjoy it. Don’t overdo it. If you have issues with sleep, absolutely cut off your caffeine intake by noon. Otherwise, your sleep’s going to get much worse. And if you’re curious about adding green tea or green tea extract to whatever lifestyle changes you’re making, always clear it with a pharmacist or doctor to make sure there’s not going to be any side effects or risks for you.”

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