Could green tea be a natural alternative to Ozempic?
It’s not the first time we’ve seen green tea being hailed as a wonder drink – research suggests that regular green tea drinkers could benefit from improved gut health, better blood sugar control, a reduced risk of heart disease and better brain health, thanks to the high level of polyphenols (plant compounds) it contains.
But could it also be a natural alternative to Ozempic, suppressing appetite and leaving you fuller for longer? According to Tiktok, the answer is a resounding yes – with videos touting green tea as ‘nature’s ozempic’, helping you shed pounds, without the need for an expensive injection.
Is green tea really an alternative to Ozempic?
Green tea has long been bandied around as a diet hack – in fact, in ancient China the drink was often used as a weightloss tool. ‘Green tea contains catechins, especially epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which have been shown to slightly increase thermogenesis (the body’s calorie-burning process) and enhance fat oxidation (fat burning) both at rest and during exercise,’ explains Rob Hobson, nutritionist and author of Unprocess Your Life. ‘This means green tea can give a small boost to your metabolism, but it's not significant enough to lead to substantial weight loss on its own.’
But what about the claims that green tea can potentially perform in the same way Ozempic does – by mimicking GLP-1, the gut hormone that acts on the pancreas and insulin levels to reduce blood sugar, slowing down the rate at which food leaves the stomach and suppressing appetite? ‘There is some research to suggest green tea may help slightly suppress appetite, potentially helping to reduce calorie intake,’ says Rob, ‘but the effects are inconsistent across studies.’ One 2014 study that looked at the effect of green tea extract on 92 patients with type 2 diabetes found the difference between participants who took the extract and those who took a placebo was ‘statistically insignificant’.
‘The bottom line is that no food or supplement can dramatically increase your metabolism to the point of noticeable weight loss,’ says Rob. ‘The most effective and sustainable approach to weight loss is always going to be a combination of a healthy diet and regular exercise.’
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