Feb 21, 2008 11:59 pm US/Eastern
Urban Myth: Drinking Tea And Weight Loss
Dietician: Beverage Will Raise Metabolism, But Do Little Else
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Millions of Americans reach for that first cup of coffee to get them going in the morning, but as more and more studies support the health benefits of drinking tea, sales have more than tripled over the last 10 years.
Now, as CBS 2 recently found out, a slew of new tea diet products claim they have the right brew to help you slim down.
Next to water, tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world. And whether it's black, green or herbal, studies show drinking tea can be good for you.
"Certainly the polyphenols in tea are powerful antioxidants," said Mary Jane Detroyer, a registered dietician.
Now tea is also being marketed to help you lose weight.
"Drinking tea, can rev up your metabolism," Detroyer said.
Search the internet for "tea diets" and countless products like Wu-Yi Source pop up. Wu-Yi guarantees you will lose weight or your money back. With nothing to lose, except a couple extra pounds, Janet Stoneking shelled out about $150 for a 90-day supply of Wu-Yi Source diet tea bags.
"It was just like drinking a regular cup of tea," said Stoneking.
As recommended by the manufacturers, she also watched what she ate and started to exercise to maximize her results. How much did she lose?
"I did what it said regularly and I had no results whatsoever," said Stoneking.
And when she opted for the money back guarantee, she says Wu-Yi Source didn't respond.
"The rating we gave this particular company was unsatisfactory," explained Claire Rosenzweig with the Better Business Bureau.
It turns out Stoneking wasn't the only dissatisfied customer, which is why the Better Business Bureau is warning customers about Wu-Yi Source.
"Any time there are unsubstantiated claims, any time they are talking about secret ingredients, it's something to be skeptical about," said Rosenzweig.
"Drinking more caffeine might give you a small amount of help but I don't think the research supports you're going to lose 20 pounds," explained Detroyer.
She said tea has proven health benefits but it's not the magical answer to losing weight.
"Many, many people are overweight and think they can drink tea instead of limiting the amount of chips or think about how many calories are in that burger and fries," said Detroyer.
Wu-Yi did not return CBS 2 HD's calls but eventually they did return Stoneking's money after she complained to the Better Business Bureau.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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