Tea is one of the world’s most well-known beverages. There is something glorious about the world’s second-favorite beverage next to the water from the British Earl Grey down to the Japanese Matcha.
If you’re trying to reduce your weight or just tracking what you’re putting on your body, you might have already wondered if teas have calories. This article will answer that for you. Read below to find out.
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Are There Calories in Tea?
Yes, there are calories in tea, but it’s almost negligible. A freshly brewed black tea contains only two calories (240 ml) for every cup!
This amount of calories can be burned by taking 40 short steps for reference. The calories you’ll consume with three cups a day are similar to eating one tiny Tic-Tac.
Drinking green tea has scientifically been found to aid in weight loss. A cup of it only contains 2.5 calories and a load of caffeine and catechins.
These substances have been shown to increase metabolism and increase the rate of fat burning. Because of this, consuming a cup of green tea can help you burn an additional 75 to 100 calories a day.
Other similar teas such as white tea, oolong, lavender, and chamomile also have almost nonexistent calories.
You might have asked yourself, “So if tea doesn’t have calories, how come I’m gaining weight with all the milk teas that I’ve been enjoying?”
Additives and Sweeteners
While teas have negligible calories, we add to the matter. For example, whenever you wish to improve your tea’s taste and add a tablespoon of honey, the calorie count will rise from 2 to 66. If you add a tablespoon of sugar, that’s another 48 calories.
Bubble Tea, which originated from Taiwan, comprises black tea, sweetened condensed milk, honey, and tapioca pearls. A tall jar would be approximately 400 calories, a drastic increase due to the number of calories from the various ingredients added.
Kinds of Tea
If you want to manage your calorie intake, it will help to choose the kind of tea that already suits your taste to minimize the additives. Here are some common types:
Teas With Infused Flowers and Fruits
They are naturally sweet and usually have more calories than regular teas. It’s light, packed with flavors, and very refreshing. People typically prefer them cold or iced.
A freshly brewed cup has about ten calories, depending on the fruits and flowers used. The most common fruits and flowers are rose, lemon, orange, and strawberry. This kind of tea is recommended for those who want their drinks on the sweeter side.
Mint Tea
Adding mint leaves to your green tea makes it more refreshing and, surprisingly, doesn’t add any calories. Mint leaves are great flavor adders, accessible, easy to grow, and natural.
Spiced Tea
For those who love spices, chai tea might be the perfect one for you. Originated from India, this milky beverage usually contains cardamom, cinnamon, fennel, black pepper, and cloves.
The spices alone provide great and original flavors that are essentially calorie-free. However, adding skim milk will add 60 calories to your warm, comforting drink.
FAQ
Are teas good for weight loss?
Yes. Teas contain certain compounds that aid in weight loss, such as caffeine and catechins. Plus, consuming this beverage hardly adds to your calorie consumption while making you feel fuller.
This is, of course, on the assumption that you’ll add little to no additives in your teas. It is always best to live an active lifestyle and have a healthier diet to supplement tea consumption if you’re targeting weight loss.
Which is the best kind of tea for weight loss?
Black tea has the least calories per cup (only two calories). However, green tea has calories close to that (2.5 calories). And it was found to boost metabolism, causing you to burn an added 75 calories daily.
Conclusion
Because teas are just dried leaves from the tea plant Camellia Sinensis, they have close-to-zero calories. However, one should be mindful of the ingredients that we add to it because we usually get all the calories. Some teas with natural flavors if you wish to avoid putting in sweeteners and other additives.
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