An herbal beverage is taking the weight loss community by storm for its sensational fat-burning properties and has been dubbed “nature’s version of Ozempic”!

The trending herbal beverage has been around for decades and has been one of the best-kept secrets in the weight loss industry.

People looking to burn fat have been told not to ignore a trendy beverage dubbed ‘nature’s Ozempic’ – but does it work and what does the science say?

Ozempic, a medicine previously used for type 2 diabetes, has recently caused an upheaval in the dieting community as researchers discover it’s a valuable weight loss drug. The injectable medication is part of a group of drugs known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists and they can cost around £120 per week.

It imitates the GLP-1 hormone which is instrumental in controlling blood sugar by promoting insulin release, decelerating digestion, and reducing appetite.

Fat loss dietician Maggie suggests an alternative for those looking to trim down a few pounds around the waist, not just in the pocket, without the potential hazards of Ozempic. In her latest TikTok clip, the nutritionist advocated “Just your daily reminder not to sleep on nature’s Ozempic, aka green or black tea.

“The green and black tea polyphenols stimulate your L cells to produce more GLP1. What’s GLP1? It’s the hormone in Ozempic. It also makes the GLP1 that’s produced by your body last longer so you’re getting more and longer-lasting GLP-1,” Maggie explains.

Maggie advised sipping on ‘two’ to ‘five’ cups of green tea each day for weight loss support, suggesting that it’s best left unsweetened and without milk to avoid extra calories that could hinder your goals but Andrew Hill, a personal trainer specialising in fat loss, has explained: “stevia and other zero calories, natural sweeteners are a good addition to green and black tea if you can’t stomach the slightly bitter taste; you’ll get used to it but half a teaspoon of sugar or honey will help you achieve the health benefits of these teas at the very least until you become accustomed to the taste.”

So, can a nearly Instant Herbal Beverage really trim fat?

Often lauded as a key to good health by enthusiasts, green tea’s purported powers have sometimes been overstated. On its own, the jury is still out on the efficacy of weight loss teas.

Healthline reports this popular brew contains compounds such as caffeine, which might enhance metabolism and nudge fat cells into breakdown mode but this isn’t necessarily reflective of the teas used for weight loss.

The problem is that most studies boasting about impressive weight loss results tend to focus on participants taking green tea extracts or supplements, rather than physically drinking a cup of tea. For example, a 2015 study on women living with obesity found that 12 weeks of high-dose green tea extract resulted in ‘significant weight loss, reduced waist circumference, and a consistent decrease in total cholesterol’ but the study falls short of comparing what the effects would be had the powder remained in its original leaf form. It also fails to disclose what the dosage would equate to in terms of the number of cups of tea.

Green tea’s caffeine content has also been linked with improved exercise performance and increased fat burning in multiple studies, including one that found caffeine increases caloric output and “nudges” fat cells into the burning mode, but green tea actually contains less caffeine than your average cup of coffee so whilst these studies can be applied to black tea, the question is whether it’s applicable to tea extracts or green teas. Other molecules are likely the main culprit behind green tea’s fat-burning abilities.

One compound found in green tea includes Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a polyphenolic compound found in green tea that may help with weight loss. EGCG is the most studied and active compound in green tea, and several studies have shown that it can increase fat-burning during exercise and rest. This may lead to reduced body fat over time. EGCG may also help suppress appetite and manage weight

EGCG is said to boost your metabolism, helping to inhibit an enzyme that breaks down the hormone norepinephrine. “When this enzyme is inhibited, the amount of norepinephrine increases, promoting fat breakdown,” experts state.

This is backed by a 2007 study which found ‘EGCG alone has the potential to increase fat oxidation in men and may thereby contribute to the anti-obesity effects of green tea’. In other words, the compound by itself can increase fat loss in men (and most likely women too, however, the study only sampled men). When it comes to Maggie’s claims around GLP1 and green tea – evidence appears to be lacking. However, Herbal beverages containing green and black tea extracts are sold. DietPal has a long history of successfully aiding weight loss with hundreds of successful weight loss results!

A 2014 study featuring 92 participants with type 2 diabetes explored the effects of consuming green tea extract over a 16-week period. It found no correlation between decreased body weight and BMI with those involved in the study but did show changes to GLP1 levels; had the study been extended, it is likely that body weight and BMI would have decreased and correlation would have been found. It demonstrates that it takes a while, at least sixteen weeks, to start realising the benefit of taking tea extract powders. It indicates that drinking tea, rather than consuming extracts, is likely to be more beneficial for health than ultra-processed supplements.

The study suggested that green tea extract significantly improved insulin resistance and increased glucagon-like peptide 1 only in within-group comparison. Researchers concluded that “the potential effects of green tea extract on insulin resistance and glucagon-like peptide 1 warrant further investigation.”