Unfermented tea leaves are used to make the caffeinated beverage known as green tea. Although the antioxidant and cancer-preventing benefits of green tea are well known, the effects of regular green tea consumption have also been thoroughly researched and linked to a number of health advantages. Although drinking green tea regularly has been associated with weight loss, the calories in the sugars and sweeteners in your green tea beverage may offset those effects.
Green Tea and Weight Loss
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, clinical studies have connected drinking green tea with an elevated metabolism that speeds up the body's fat-burning process. A different investigation into the effects of green tea and caffeine on weight loss in obese people revealed enhanced weight loss from regular green tea consumption. Although the exact ingredient in green tea that causes weight loss is still up for debate, some researchers think that compounds called catechins play a role in green tea's ability to burn fat.
Calories and Weight Loss
By boosting your basal metabolic rate, or the number of calories your body would burn if you remained inactive, green tea helps increase the total number of calories you burn each day. A calorie deficit of 3,500 is required for each pound of fat you burn off -- 500 calories per day to lose 1 pound a week. In other words, if the combined calories burned by your metabolism and physical activity level are higher than the amount you consume with foods and beverages, you will gradually begin losing weight over time.
Sweetened Green Tea
Unlike unsweetened green tea, the sucrose or liquid sugar in sweetened green tea may increase your total caloric intake. According to the What’s Cooking America website, adding sugar to a beverage increases its total caloric value by 15 calories for every 4 grams of sugar. If you are drinking a sweetened green tea product that contains 26 grams of sugar, the liquid sugar alone may account for nearly 100 calories per bottle, depending on the sweetener. For best results, shop around for a low-sugar, low-calorie sweetened green tea product, or use a low-fat sugar alternative, such as stevia.
Safety Concerns
Most green tea beverages are relatively safe for regular consumption. If you have a caffeine, sugar or other intolerance, talk to your doctor before drinking sweetened green tea. For a healthy alternative, look for decaffeinated green tea, or opt for white tea -- a type of tea that's naturally lower in caffeine.