When you feel hungry, your first impulse is to have a snack. However, overeating can cause weight gain. While there is no quick fix for suppressing appetite to suit everyone, there are many natural appetite suppressants you can sip on.
You may find that you overeat for many different reasons. You could have a stressful job, a hormone imbalance or you might be feeling down. Some teas can help to control these food cravings and help you achieve your weight loss goals.
We will be looking at the best natural appetite suppressant tea for you. But let's first explore why we may be overeating and its psychology.
Why do you overeat?
We don't always eat because we are hungry. If you eat because you are bored, or it makes you feel better because you are sad or lonely, you may be overeating.
I love a delicious snack just as much as the next person. You know what it's like some days when you are curled up with a good book or your favourite movie. Snacking seems to go hand in hand with kicking back and relaxing.
This study shows the connection between binge eating or overeating and psychological stress. Eating food when stressed was found to reduce anxiety in the study participants. If anxiety is your problem and you want to know more, read:
- Why Is My Anxiety Worse Right Before My Period?
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- Which Herbal Teas Should I Drink for Stress and Anxiety?
However, when you overeat, it means you could be putting too many calories into your body throughout the day. Psychologists point to four main reasons why people tend to overeat, including:
- Comfort eating – when you eat for comfort because it makes you feel warm or safe, not for nutritional value
- Emotional eating – reaching for the snacks when you are upset or sad
- Sugar addiction – when you don’t have sugar, you are constantly thinking about sweet foods
- Bad habits – mindlessly eating while watching TV or driving your car
Eventually, overeating or binge eating can lead to weight gain or digestive issues. In extreme cases, people can develop chronic health conditions like heart disease or diabetes.
Most of the time, people overeat due to bad habits or sugar addiction. Here are a few ways you can break these habits:
- Don't eat in front of the TV or your computer
- Avoid snacking from containers – makeup portions and stick to them
- Exercise instead of eating to combat stress
- Slow your eating – chew with purpose
- Reduce alcohol intake
Taking note of the triggers that cause you to open the fridge or stand in front of the pantry even when you are not hungry can help you control overeating. Next time when you feel like snacking, boil the kettle and make yourself a cup of your favourite appetite-suppressing tea.
SummaryPeople overeat for a variety of reasons. You could be eating to comfort yourself or because you feel anxious or stressed. Most people eat because they have developed bad habits or have a sugar addiction. |
Peppermint tea can stop food cravings
While there are many reasons we may be overeating, there are some delicious teas you can sip to help stop food cravings and suppress your appetite. Let's start with Peppermint Tea which could be your solution to overeating.
Peppermint tea is a low-calorie beverage that can help you digest your food while curbing your appetite. The active ingredient in peppermint tea, menthol, gives you a cool sensation when you drink it and a fresh minty smell that causes you to eat less.
This study evaluated hunger levels in participants when exposed to the smell of peppermint. The participants who inhaled peppermint regularly consumed fewer calories and reported reduced hunger levels.
Aside from being a great way to curb your appetite, drinking peppermint tea has many additional benefits, including:
- indigestion relief
- gentle pain treatment
- reducing cholesterol
- treatment for diabetes and other metabolic diseases
If weight loss is on your mind, sip peppermint tea during the day. Sweeten naturally with organic Stevia Leaf Powder if you look for a bit of sweetness.
For further information about the qualities of peppermint tea, check out these articles:
SummaryDrinking peppermint tea is a natural and safe way to help you to stop food cravings and overeating. The delicious fresh flavours of peppermint can also treat digestive problems and be beneficial in treating metabolic diseases such as diabetes. |
Dandelion root can decrease your appetite
Dandelion Tea can be a very beneficial tea to drink if you need to decrease your appetite and stop overeating.
Dandelion tea has a myriad of benefits for your entire digestive system. It can help reduce sugar cravings by making the digestive system more efficient. Dandelion tea can be consumed during or after your meal to help your small intestine absorb nutrients and metabolise carbohydrates and sugar efficiently.
Dandelion tea is naturally caffeine-free and has been found to have anti-obesity effects by reducing weight and levels of fat storage in your body. This study shows how dandelion can trigger pancreatic lipase, which breaks down bile in your intestine and can help prevent obesity.
To decrease your appetite, you can drink one or two cups of low-calorie dandelion tea per day, either hot or cold.
What happens when you drink dandelion tea every day?
Dandelion root tea has a nutty, slightly bitter flavour. When you drink it, you can experience a decrease in appetite as well as some additional benefits to your health. They include:
- Optimise liver function
- Help with indigestion and constipation
- Act as a diuretic and help you lose water weight
- Hydrate your body naturally
Another benefit of dandelion tea is the ability to block fat absorption. Polyphenols block the enzyme activity required to break down fat during digestion. This can prevent around 25% of fat from being absorbed into your body.
For further information about dandelion teas, check out these articles:
- Dandelion Root Tea Helps With Digestion
- Can Dandelion Root Help You Lose Water Weight?
- Dandelion tea Can be Used to Treat Constipation
- Effective Herbs To Get Rid Of Water Retention In Legs
SummaryDandelion tea can decrease your appetite by triggering a breakdown of bile and blocking fat absorption in your small intestine. The tea can help your body to metabolise sugars and absorb nutrients. With its anti-obesity effects, dandelion can be a solution to stop sugar cravings. |
Green tea can fight hunger pangs
Green tea is a well-known remedy for suppressing your appetite and fighting hunger pangs. This popular tea has strong, smooth flavours, which you can brew into your favourite beverage.
The active ingredients in green tea, the flavonoid - catechin and caffeine, work together to increase metabolism, which suppresses your appetite and can help stop you give in to hunger pangs. These active ingredients also influence dopamine and norepinephrine, which are known to suppress your appetite.
This study found that when combined with soluble fibre such as psyllium, apples, carrots and citrus fruit, energy intake decreased significantly compared to a similar beverage without green tea. Therefore, adding green tea powder to your smoothie in the morning can keep you feeling full for longer.
How much green tea or Matcha powder should I drink to suppress my appetite?You can drink up to two cups of green tea or Matcha a day. However, you should only consume them between breakfast to 4:00 pm to counter the effects of caffeine later in the day. |
To find out more about the properties of green tea, you can read these articles:
SummaryWhen consumed as a beverage with or without soluble fibre, green tea can suppress your appetite and reduce energy intake. Catechins and caffeine are the active ingredients in this versatile tea which can be consumed as a hot drink or added to a smoothie. |
Black tea can stop you from snacking
When you think of a nice cup of tea, you may be imagining a black tea served in a pretty china cup. More than that, black tea is a robust flavoured tea that can also help you stop snacking.
Black tea, like green tea, is sometimes known as a "true tea". True teas come from the same plant leaves - Camellia sinensis, which are:
- black tea
- green tea
- white tea
The health benefits of black tea are like green tea but with a couple of differences. The active ingredients in black tea are flavonoid - polyphenol and caffeine that can suppress appetite and stop you from snacking.
Black tea has a significant level of caffeine which has long been known to be an appetite suppressant. Black tea has more caffeine than other true teas because black tea goes through more prolonged oxidation than green or white tea.
This study shows how polyphenols in black tea have excellent anti-obesity activity without any side effects. Polyphenols can decrease food intake by promoting lipid metabolism and reducing oxidative stress in people with obesity.
Does black tea make you poop?As black tea has a high level of caffeine, it may cause you to poop. Caffeine is known to have a laxative effect on the bowel as it stimulates your distal colon to release waste. It can also release the hormones that aid digestion to activate contractions in your bowel. Some people can drink multiple caffeinated drinks and not be affected, while others can experience a laxative effect after just one cup. |
It is usually recommended that you abstain from caffeinated drinks in the late afternoon to not disrupt your sleep patterns. Therefore, you can drink 2 to 3 cups of black tea between breakfast and 4:00 pm to counter the effects of caffeine later in the afternoon.
Serve with a slice of lemon if you like your tea black, or add a dash of milk to taste.
SummaryBlack tea is one of the world's oldest "true teas". The active ingredients of flavonoids and caffeine can suppress your appetite by changing your metabolism to stop you from snacking. |
Hibiscus tea can be used as an appetite suppressant
Hibiscus Tea is a safe tea to drink to help suppress your appetite; you can even take it on an empty stomach.
Polyphenols found in hibiscus tea can activate your metabolism to suppress your appetite. The polyphenols are plant-based appetite suppressants that slow the secretion of appetite-stimulating hormones. Drinking hibiscus tea may facilitate weight loss and help you to stop snacking.
This study shows how hibiscus tea can help prevent obesity because of its metabolic-regulating potential, with no adverse effects. The results were positive, with participants reducing body weight and BMI due to hibiscus' appetite-suppressing qualities.
Additionally, the hydrating effect of hibiscus tea is beneficial to help with the breakdown of fat and reduction in cholesterol, both of which contribute to you achieving your weight loss goals.
Here are other benefits of hibiscus tea.
- Contains high levels antioxidants
- Can help lower blood pressure
- May boost liver health
- May help prevent cancer
- Could help fight bacteria
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Hibiscus tea is slightly bitter, so try to avoid the temptation to put sugar in it as it can counteract the effects of the polyphenols. Try serving it with organic stevia leaf powder for a natural sweetener. |
These articles give you further information about the benefits of drinking hibiscus tea to help you lose weight and address any concerns about consuming the tea if you take other medications.
- You Can Lose Weight and Belly Fat by Drinking Hibiscus Tea
- Does Hibiscus Interfere With Medications?
- Hibiscus Tea Can Get Rid of Water Retention
SummaryHibiscus is a safe and effective way to suppress your appetite. The active ingredients in hibiscus are polyphenols shown to have metabolic-regulating potential. |
Ginger tea can stop sugar cravings
As we know, ginger has many benefits for our health. One of those benefits is its ability to stop sugar cravings and suppress your appetite.
Ginger Tea has compounds called zingerone and shogaols as active ingredients. The thermogenic properties of this delicious warming beverage work to activate your metabolism and help to stop sugar cravings.
According to this study, these ingredients can decrease appetite in obese women between 18 and 45. The study results showed a significant decrease in weight, BMI, and dietary intake, with a low appetite score reported amongst participants.
Another study shows the benefits of drinking a hot ginger beverage and how consumption reduced hunger amongst the male participants. It is believed that ginger consumption activates serotonin pathways to give a sense of satiety (feeling full).
When consumed twice a day, ginger tea can reduce feelings of hunger and therefore make you less likely to snack between meals. Ginger can be served as a hot or cool drink, depending on your taste. Serve with fresh lemon to give your metabolism an extra boost.
What are the other benefits of consuming ginger?As it is loaded with antioxidants and other impressive properties, ginger has also been linked to reduced cholesterol, lowered blood sugar levels and improved liver health. |
If you want to discover more about other wonderful benefits of ginger, check out these articles:
SummaryGinger tea has many health benefits and is safe to drink as an effective appetite suppressant. The research carried out into ginger consumption and weight loss shows many benefits for reducing food and sugar cravings. |
Butterfly pea flower tea can stop you from overeating
Butterfly Pea Flower Tea, also known as blue tea, is a delicious tea known for its anti-aging and skincare properties. Butterfly pea flower tea can also help you reduce your food intake and overeating by suppressing your appetite.
Not only is blue tea a beautiful blue colour, but it also has the active ingredient catechin - EGCG, epigallocatechin gallate. EGCG can speed up your metabolism and burn more calories. A faster metabolism means you are less likely to overeat.
You can drink butterfly pea flower tea, a caffeine-free alternative to coffee, at least an hour before or after meals. The catechins in blue tea will help your body burn more calories by activating your metabolism. It is a safe and natural way to stop overeating.
Moreover, blue tea can help increase hepatic metabolism, which is how your liver processes fat and speeds up your metabolism. The tea can also reduce cholesterol while antioxidants can detoxify your body.
Other ways to include butterfly pea flowers into your food and beveragesBlue tea is a terrific caffeine-free alternative to some of the other teas we have discussed. The flowers are versatile; their beautiful blue hue makes them a popular inclusion in most fruit or yoghurt smoothies and even milky chai or latte drinks. The flowers can also be put into salads to make your dishes look and taste delicious. |
For more information about the benefits of blue tea, read this article:
SummaryButterfly pea tea, which is also known as blue tea, has many benefits to control food intake. The catechin, EGCG, can speed up your hepatic metabolism and work as an appetite suppressant. |
Hunger Buster Délices des Abeilles can eliminate unhealthy cravings
Hunger Buster Delices des Abeilles is a luxury blend of fruits and flowers mixed with some of your favourite teas. If you are looking for a natural sweet fix, this could be the tea to help you eliminate unhealthy cravings.
The ingredients of this tasty tea are a blend of liquorice root, fennel seeds, apple, jujube, and currants, along with hibiscus, chamomile, and cornflower petals.
We have already had a look at the benefits of hibiscus tea as an appetite suppressant. When combined with Chamomile and Liquorice root, which have properties known to calm and aid in digestion, Hunger Buster Délices des Abeilles can benefit you in many ways, not just as an appetite suppressant.
The tea blend is a caffeine-free treat that you can sip anytime you feel a sugar craving, or you have the desire to snack. However, do not exceed more than one cup per day.
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Hunger Buster Delices des Abeilles forms part of the New Me 28 Day Teatox. This exclusive 28-day program is formulated to ensure effective weight loss, a full body cleanse, and detoxification. |
Read more information about this program and other slimming teas here:
SummaryHunger Buster Delices des Abeilles is a delicious, blended tea explicitly made to help eliminate unhealthy food cravings. The blend of teas such as hibiscus, chamomile, and liquorice root with a delightful selection of fruits and flowers can help stop you from heading for the fridge. |
Conclusion
If you have food cravings and feel like you are overeating, you are certainly not alone. Everyone of us has had food cravings at some point in our lives.
The teas we have looked at in this article all have properties to help stop overeating by suppressing your appetite. So, which tea is the best appetite suppressant? You will find that our bodies and how we process food or teas are different, like our personalities.
You may find that the cooling minty flavours of peppermint tea work for you, or you may prefer the warming properties of a cup of ginger tea or the tanginess of hibiscus or dandelion. Whatever you prefer, you can be assured that all the teas we have looked at are safe to consume and, in some cases, tried and tested remedies.
Next time you hear the fridge or pantry calling you, turn the kettle on and brew yourself a nice cup of tea. Every sip you take could be preventing you from snacking. Enjoy your brew!