Weight loss remains an elusive dream for many people. A lifestyle that consists of long workdays filled with take-out meals and no exercise are not conducive to a healthy diet or exercise, which translates to excessive weight gain for many. It's not a surprise that products that promise to help burn off this excess fat sell so well, especially when it seems the process will be effortless.
About Cho-Yung Tea
Cho-Yung, a UK based company, markets a herbal tea, Cho-Yung Tea, that helps burn fat by increasing metabolism. The tea contains no chemicals and has an all natural list of ingredients, like oolong tea and lotus leaf. According to the website, the ingredients when combined, "...help purify the body's cells and support the essential organs through the digestive process."
A standard plan, a one-month supply of tea, costs £79.99 (approximately $130) and consists of 60 teabags exclusive of shipping and handling charges.
The four-step process to losing weight requires introduction of gentle exercise, smaller (yet frequent) meals, and healthier food options along with two cups of the tea every day. The website says that the increased exercise and healthier food options along with the increased metabolism from drinking tea will help reduce weight over a sustained period of time.
How Weight Loss Works
The real question to ask is, what does Cho-Yung Tea add to the weight loss process? For this, let's examine how weight loss works on an average person.
According to Melissa Conrad Stoppler, MD, "Our body weight is determined by the amount of energy that we take in as food and the amount of energy we expend in the activities of our day." Simply put, someone eating more calories than their body needs in a day will gain weight, while someone eating less calories will lose weight. Almost every weight loss program is based on this simple formula for weight loss, which works whether the person is losing five pounds or fifty.
While there are many diet plans that will ask users to cut out carbohydrate intake, increase protein, eat certain types of foods at specific times or only eat pre-planned meals, the basic principle remains the same. The only way weight loss happens is when the body builds up a caloric deficit and starts burning a combination of fat and muscle to supply the energy it needs.
Essentially, the first three parts of the Cho-Yung tea four step process are focusing on increasing the amount of calories burnt, while asking the user to eat healthier foods in smaller portions. Something any weight loss plan would advise.
Benefits of Green Tea and a Close Look at Cho-Yung Tea Ingredients
Step four of the plan requires two cups of Cho-Yung tea every day to be consumed so it's important to look at both the benefits of green tea in general, while looking at the ingredients of Cho-Yung tea more closely.
While green tea is not as popular as other teas, or even coffee, the benefits of green tea are multi-fold. According to Abdul G. Dulloo, "Green tea has thermogenic properties and promotes fat oxidation beyond that explained by its caffeine content per se." In simple terms, it boosts the body's metabolism, which means more calories are burnt by the body than normal. While the amount of extra calories a cup of green tea would burn is small, about 60 in most studies, it also has lower caffeine amounts as compared to coffee. Furthermore, hot liquids help the body feel satiated longer.
Looking at all this evidence, it's difficult to deny that green tea does, in fact, increase metabolism and therefore help in weight loss.
Cho-Yung tea is, however, more than just simple green tea. The ingredients, as listed on the website, include Oolong Tea, Lotus Leaf, Hawthorn, Alisma Rhizome, Cassia Seeds, Jiagulan and Poria. Of these, Alisma Rhizome and Poria are used to help people get rid of water weight, while Cassia Seeds and Jiaogulan are used to regulate the digestive system. Combined, these ingredients offer benefits similar to a common laxative, which will help increase bowel movements and flush water from the body but will not result in permanent weight loss.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the question that needs to be answered is not whether drinking Cho-Yung tea will cause weight loss, but whether it will have any extra benefits over another brand of green tea found in the market.
While Cho Yung tea is an all-natural tea that will result in an increase in metabolism, evidence suggests this is a benefit that can be gained from drinking any all-natural green tea on the market. Cho-Yung tea will also regulate bowel movements and reduce water retention, but neither of these help with permanent weight loss. While the product is well put together, and brings together a number of all-natural ingredients, it remains up to the user to decide whether it is worth it to pay $130 for a two month supply of a product that offers the same basic benefits as a $49.92 Oolong Tea available in an online grocery store.
References
Cho Yung Tea (Accessed May 18, 2011)
Medicine Net, "Weight Loss" (Accessed May 18, 2011)
WebMD, "Green Tea Boosts Metabolism, Protects Against Diseases" (Accessed May 18, 2011)
Every Day Health, "It's Time To Curb Mindless Eating" (Accessed May 18, 2011)
CCSVI Medication, " Alisma Rhizome " (Accessed May 18, 2011)
TCM Treatment, "Poria" (Accessed May 18, 2011)
TCM Treatment, "Cassia Seed" (Accessed May 18, 2011)
Herb.com, "What Is Jiaogulan?" (Accessed May 18, 2011)
Medicine Net, "Laxatives For Constipation" (Accessed May 18, 2011)
Bulimia Help, "Laxatives Don't Help Weight Loss" (Accessed May 18, 2011)
Amazon, " Bigelow Chinese Oolong Tea " (Accessed May 18, 2011)
Nida Rasheed - A freelance writer and owner of an outsourcing company, I often find myself wanting to write about the subjects that are closest to my ...
