Green Tea vs. Coffee for Weight Loss: Which One Burns More Fat?
Green tea vs. coffee for weight loss ,this question has long sparked intrigue amongst fitness enthusiasts, dieters, and health nerds. Which beverage really helps you burn fat faster? Which beverage is the better addition to your daily fat-loss plan?
In this ultimate battle between two of the most widely consumed beverages on earth, we are going to nail down exactly how green tea and coffee are metabolized by the body, their modes of fat-burning, the research detailing their influence on fat loss, side effects, and most importantly, which one might be better for burning fat quicker.
Stick with me for the end ,so that you can finally know what to drink, and never waste a cup of knowledge again!
Green Tea vs. Coffee for Weight Loss: What Science Says
Tea vs. Coffee for weight loss isn’t simply up to your preference , it’s about what works better with your metabolism. Both beverages contain bioactive compounds that inspire fat burning, but they act differently.
Tea for Weight Loss
Tea, especially green tea has catechins and the major catechin epigallocatechin (EGCG), which is one of the most powerful and studied antioxidants related to fat burning and increased fat oxidation.
Several studies have shown that EGCG, combined with the caffeine in green tea, increases energy expenditure , the number of calories your body burns in a 24-hour period. For instance, a study found that daily consumption of tea containing 690 mg catechins for 12 weeks reduced body fat, suggesting that catechin ingestion might be useful in reducing body fat.PubMed
Green tea is also shown to increase the body’s fat burning rate during exercise. A study found that men consuming green tea extract before exercise burned 17% more fat than those that did not, according to research available on PubMed
Coffee for Weight Loss
Coffee is the heavyweight champion of caffeinated beverages. Caffeine is one of the most researched natural fat burning agents.
It does this by stimulating the central nervous system, increasing adrenaline levels, and releasing fatty acids from fat tissues into the bloodstream through a metabolic pathway called lipolysis.
In a study, caffeine was able to increase resting metabolic rate (RMR) by 3–4% , according to research available on PubMed
Higher doses produced benefits on RMR even more dramatically. Additionally, it increases working out performance meaning you can train harder and ultimately burn more calories.
To get the most benefits from caffeine supplementation, know that the body can become tolerant of caffeine, and thus impair these benefits over time.
Green Tea vs. Coffee for Weight Loss: Metabolism and Fat Oxidation
Green tea vs. coffee for weight loss rights down to how well each beverage can influence your metabolism and fat oxidation.
Why Green Tea Works for Metabolism
Caffeine plus EGCG works synergistically. EGCG acts as a norepinephrine receptor agonist, inhibiting the enzyme that degrades norepinephrine, a hormone that promotes fat cell lipolysis. If the degradation of norepinephrine is inhibited, the levels of norepinephrine increase and so does fat lipolysis.
Green tea also facilitates thermogenesis, which is the process by which heat is produced by the body through the utilization of energy produced from food.
How Does Coffee Help Fat Loss?
Caffeine activates the brain and raises dopamine and norepinephrine, making you alert, helping your mood, and increasing calories burnt while awake. Additionally, it activates brown adipose tissue (BAT) , which is a fat that burns calories to heat the body.
According to a study published by Scientific Reports, simply drinking a cup of coffee activates BAT to turn your body into a more efficient, fat burning machine.
Green Tea vs. Coffee for Weight Loss: Appetite Suppression
Let’s take a look at appetite control for both of these drinks, as weight loss is about what you burn and don’t eat.
Green Tea’s Subtle Appetite Control
Green tea is gentler on your appetite. It does not reduce hunger with a massive intimidate effect, but the relaxing effect of tea should less likely lead to an episode of emotional eating or cravings. Also, if you are sipping hot tea slowly, it is beneficial to your brain to let it fill up quicker by taking longer time, rather than lots of food without giving time to feel full, thus encouraging mindful eating.
Coffee’s Appetite Suppression
Caffeine is known as an appetite suppression agent; especially in the short run. Drinking black coffee 30 minutes before eating, could help limit calorie intake. Caffeine also decreases the hunger hormone ghrelin, lastly making you full faster. However, the opposite effects from caffeine can happen with overconsumption, or adding sugar and cream.
Weight Loss with Green Tea vs. Coffee: Side Effects & Tolerance
Although both are effective tools, there’s no free lunch in the fat loss game. Now, let’s discuss tolerance, sensitivity, and possible detriments.
Green Tea Side Effects
In general, green tea is well tolerated, but higher doses can lead to:
Stomach upset from tannins
Interference with iron absorption
Insomnia if ingested late
That said, green tea contains lower caffeine levels, so jitters are not common like coffee. It is a safer, gentler option for most people and sustainable.
Coffee Side Effects
High caffeine levels from coffee may cause:
Insomnia and anxiety
Heart palpitations
Increased cortisol (stress hormone)
More importantly, you may build tolerance when consuming coffee, which may lessen its fat-burning effects when it is consumed continually.
As a way to reset your caffeine levels, you may have to do what is called “caffeine cycling” by going through periods of not consuming caffeine to regain your body’s sensitivity to it.
Green Tea vs. Coffee for Weight Loss: Real-Life Applications
Here is how people are using green tea and coffee for weight loss in real life.
Green Tea Example
In the morning: 1 cup green tea with lemon (kick start metabolism with powerful fat-burning ingredients)
In the afternoon: 1 cup green tea before workout (boost fat burn)
In the evening: decaf green tea or matcha (calm while detoxifying)
This use of green tea will spread the fat burning benefits across the day without ruining your sleep.
Coffee Example
Pre-workout: 1 black coffee (increased energy and fat burn)
In the morning: 1 cup of coffee with breakfast (suppress hunger)
As an Optional afternoon: 1 cup coffee (if not experiencing sleep issues)
Coffee can hit you a bit harder, so it’s probably better for people with a higher tolerance for caffeine.
Green Tea vs. Coffee for Weight Loss: Which is Better?
So, let’s put the debate to rest right now: Green tea vs. coffee for weight loss. Which burns more fat?
Ruling: Coffee for quick fat burning, green tea for long-lasting effects.
If your goal is quick and noticeable fat burning (especially when working out), coffee is the clear winner, thanks to its high caffeine content and metabolism boosting properties.
But if we’re talking about sustainable long-term weight loss with minimal side effects, green tea is the clear winner. Green tea allows you to maintain calm, steady energy and allows for weight loss. Green tea allows the body to lose weight without the crash!
If you want the best of both worlds as you up your fat-burning efforts, or want to burn fat without the gym, use both, but wisely. For example:
Morning coffee (will jumpstart the fat burn)
Afternoon green tea (helps metabolism stay high and your hunger low)
Evening decaffeinated green tea (to promote relaxation and recovery).
Conclusion
Ultimately, the winner of the green tea vs. coffee weight loss battle will not be a clear-cut winner.
Coffee packs a powerful punch for fast fat burning, while green tea will provide more gentle, constant support over a length of time.
The best choice for you will depend on your fat loss goals, caffeine tolerance, and lifestyle. If you want to be able to burn fat faster, you’ll probably want to start off with black coffee. If you’d prefer to be more gentle, then green tea might be your cup of tea. If you want the best of both worlds, you can also use the solutions in tandem.
Now that you know how each of these products work, which one will you use to get started on your fat-loss journey?
