Oolong Tea And Green Tea Scam Warning!
You’ve probably seen the advertisements:
“Drink oolong tea and lose a jeans size every 7 days!”…
“Burn 20 lbs of fat in 30 days with green tea!” …
Maybe you even watched Oprah a few years ago when Dr. Perricone said that switching your coffee for green tea would help you take off the pounds.
You may have also read or watched countless news stories which say how healthy it is to drink green tea.
The odds are good that if you’re interested in improving your health and losing fat, you probably either drink tea, take a green tea supplement or you’ve at least thought about it.
But what if I told you that most of the fat reducing claims for green tea were absolute, total BS, based on misinterpretation or deliberate misreporting of the research?
Unfortunately, it’s true. If you’ve bought green tea based on the claim that it causes large reductions in body fat, then you have been scammed.
Here are the facts:
Green tea DOES stimulate your metabolism.
However, the research is very unclear about what kind of impact this small, short term increase in metabolism will have on your bodyweight in the long term
In the most often quoted study (Dulloo, 1999), A swiss research team found that 270 mg of green tea extract 3X a day increased metabolic rate by the equivalent of about 79 calories on average and increased the oxidation of fat as the fuel source.
If you do the math, it appears that 79 kcal a day would add up to an extra pound of fat lost every 44 days. Not much, but you’ll take it, right? Hypothetically, that would add up to an extra 8 pounds lost per year.
What advertisements quoting this study don’t tell you is that this and other similar studies did not even measure long term change in body fat percentage or bodyweight. They only measured a 24- hour increase in energy expenditure.
One study which is used as marketing ammunition to claim that wu-long tea burns 2.5 times more fat than green tea was based only on a 120-minute increase in energy expenditure! (reminds me of that Mark Twain quote: “There are lies, damned lies, and then there are statistics”)
Numerous follow up studies have confirmed the short term increase in metabolism, but the studies are mixed on whether green tea improves weight reduction or maintenance in the long term.
The research IS compelling, but not conclusive.
As for ad claims that say you’ll lose a lot of weight just from drinking green tea… absolute BS! Hopefully the Federal Trade Commission will catch up with these scammers sooner rather than later, as the marketing messages on the Internet are getting louder and bolder every day.
As for health benefits - green tea is certainly a champ. It’s high in antioxidants and there are more than 2,000 research citations about potential health benefits of green tea (not to mention a 5,000 year history of use in China and the far east).
Even if you’re a skeptic, green tea is hard not to like and it’s hard to dispute that it’s a good idea to add green tea to your nutrition program as one part of a well-balanced fitness lifestyle.
But when it comes to claims for large and rapid losses in bodyweight and bodyfat, (especially the wu-long tea ads that are currently all over the internet), buyer beware.
The science we do have says that the thermogenic effect of green tea - while very real - is also very small.
Train hard and expect success always,
Tom Venuto
PS. For information on green tea and weight loss, visit:
The Truth About Green Tea And Weight Loss
19 July, 2007 posted in Food & Nutrition




Comments
I just have to respond to this... I have drank Green Tea for awhile now, and when I started drinking green tea it was for the nutritional value and I still drink it daily. One night about 2 months ago I was up late and seen this Dr. Perricone show and he in fact said, IF YOU EXCHANGED YOUR COFFEE FOR GREEN TEA FOR 4 TO 6 WEEKS YOU WOULD LOSE 10LBS BY JUST DOING THIS.
So I thought I'm going to experiment with this, I usually drink coffee of the mornings then I drink water or green tea the rest of the day, so I stopped drinking anything for 6 weeks except green tea and water, and I have witnesses at work and home that thats all I drank.
I lost ZERO POUNDS IN SIX WEEKS........I think I knew when I started this I wouldn't lose any weight but I thought this I can prove, and I did...Just wanted to let you know the statement scam is sooooo........true....
By the way I really enjoy getting your articles they are so very
helpful...Thank you....for being honest, and letting people who want to lose weight or just be healthy know their options....
Have a great Day!
Amy
Posted by: Amy | July 19, 2007 2:42 PM
Dr. Perricone's patients may have lost the weight as he claimed, if they substituted calorie containing coffee (with milk, cream, sugar, etc) with plain green tea (almost zero calories).
The weight loss would would primarily be the result of the decrease in calories.
however, his claim that the substitution of plain coffee with plain green tea will result in that amount of weight loss does not stand up under scientific scrutiny.
Substituting calorie containing beverages with zero calorie green tea is a perfectly sensible idea.
Posted by: Tom Venuto | July 19, 2007 2:43 PM
Interesting article. I recently did some research into green tea, and the information does stack up. Green tea can help increase your metabolism.
However, not as much as some of the adverts claim.
Earlier this year, I added green tea with my weight loss regime as I was experiencing a plateau, and it really helped to kickstart my weight loss.
I ended up losing 14 pounds more, and reaching my goal weight, thanks to the addition of green tea to my diet and exercise program.
I would still recommend green tea to others to help them lose weight.
Dean
Posted by: Dean | July 19, 2007 3:09 PM
I would certainly agree with Tom's assessment of it's over value and questionable affect on weight loss. My personal experience in switching over from coffee to green tea was a positive one.
I was able to reduce weight, however I also train hard 4-5 days a week and have changed my diet to eat 6 regular balanced meals and more fruits and vegetables. I do feel like it gave my metabolism an extra boost, but it's certainly not a scientific analysis.
What can you lose though, right? Anything that could help, go for it!
John
Posted by: John | July 19, 2007 3:15 PM
Great Info. Your full name (change your birth certificate sir) should read Thomas Tell-it-like-it-is Venuto.
Barry
PS. May 21st ==> 224.6 Lbs
July 20th ==> 207.8 Lbs
In about 8 weeks the loss is just under 17 lbs which is about 2 lbs each week. This has felt very comfortable, no stress, easy.
Moving down to a svelte 190.0 Lbs by Xmas
Thank YOU Tom!
Posted by: Barry | July 19, 2007 3:22 PM
Just wanted to thank you for saving my wallet. I was really just about to purchase this "miracle tea" online, when your scam warning email showed up. Thanks!!
Posted by: Patrick | July 19, 2007 3:26 PM
I order this tea some time ago. I used the tea and did not get any results. I counld not get the company to answer my email until it was almost time for my guarantee to be up. I needed a return number. I mailed them the tea back. They told me my guarantee was up and was not giving me a refund. They made it sound so good. (But 6 and get 2 free. Almost sold out). I asked them for the refund on the other five that was not open. They told me they destroyed the whole thing.
They would not let me use my credit card for the purchase. I had to use PayPal. PayPal did not help me get my money back.
Posted by: Dolores Holmes | July 19, 2007 3:44 PM
Tom,
A very good article on green tea. I agree 100% that it is overrated for fat burning. I actually think strong, black organic coffee and espresso is a better fat burner. I have tried Wu-Long tea and it is not as good as coffee and definetely not worth the high price. Yerba Mate is also excellent and not as bitter as green tea when brewed strong. keep on burnin' the fat!
Posted by: Ian kelley | July 19, 2007 3:45 PM
Ian, thanks for your post. And funny you should mention coffee because heres an interesting fact most people dont know: The same researchers that studied the thermogenic effect of green tea also studied the effect of caffeine in conjunction with green tea and independently of green tea. Coffee (caffeine) was ALSO found to increase 24- hour metabolic rate and fat oxidation as fuel substrate, and verifying your observation, some studies say the increase in metabolism from caffeine consumption is greater than that of green tea or the EGCG green tea extract. On the other hand, you dont see people going around saying how drinking coffee increased their weight loss either. Food for thought.
Posted by: Tom Venuto | July 19, 2007 3:48 PM
I have long thought that the "Green Tea" miracle cure was full of it, nice to see I'm not crazy. As always in the world of weight loss, if it seems too good to be true, you can pretty much bet the farm that it is. Thanks for saying it straight.
Posted by: Ryan | July 19, 2007 3:54 PM
I have done my own experiment with green tea with awesome benefits in weight loss. From my own experience, it's like any other component in losing weight...one tool. I would never attempt to believe just drinking it would cause a difference in weight if I still ate a lot of unhealthy food, that just makes sense. It did however, help me in my transition of healthy eating and there are many natural tools like it to help.
The only problem about this I can see is when people use these things like "magic elixirs" to make the fat disappear instead of using it as a kick start to healthy living...that just won't happen with anything. Drinking it has helped me tremendously in overcoming bad eating habits.
Posted by: Jayna | July 19, 2007 4:26 PM
Tea -- black, oolong, green, or white -- is an important part of my life, and I could go on (and on) about what I feel are the many benefits of drinking tea.
However, you would never, ever, hear me claim that drinking tea fosters weight loss.
It makes me mad when people hype something like this because people will become disappointed, disgusted, and turn away from tea to go onto the next fad.
Tea's not a fad. It's not a cure-all. It's a soothing, healthy beverage that can help us in many ways.
But if you want to lose weight, I'd suggest you try exercise and sensible eating -- that highly unpopular non-fad, non-magical, un-sexy approach to building muscle and burning fat.
Keep up the good work, Tom.
Posted by: Candace | July 19, 2007 5:17 PM
There is a well known study called the Hawthorn effect. It states that good results come from the very act of studying something and that this effect needs to be allowed for in your analysis of any result. Most fad diets have the Hawthorne effect in that you are more rigorous in the other things you do. Because you get results you put it down to the fad, not to your improved diet or exercise that accompanies it.
Regards Steven. Positive Attitude = Positive Results
Posted by: Steven Blake | July 19, 2007 5:40 PM
Steven wrote:
Most fad diets have the Hawthorne effect in that you are more rigorous in the other things you do. Because you get results you put it down to the fad, not to your improved diet or exercise that accompanies it.
Absolutely! people who are likely to drink green tea for weight loss often simultaneously make other changes in their lifestyle (more exercise, smaller food portions, etc), and then when they lose weight as a result of the new caloric deficit, they chalk it up to the green tea (or substitute whatever other supplement, diet, etc )
Its SO hard for most people to accept that this is all about energy balance that they almost always want to attritubute the weight loss to something else.
Posted by: Tom Venuto | July 19, 2007 5:46 PM
I agree with you on the green tea, but disagree on the Oolong tea. I have been drinking Oolong for quite some time now and I absolutely have seen results! But....BUT....I also exercise 5 days a week, sometimes 6, and I eat very healthy (no junk, sugar, fried, fast foods). Again, use common sense, and moderation. Oolong tea is one of the keys to me keeping my weight the same now for the last 5 years. I think the problem is that people want that instant fix. You can't just drink a cup of tea every once in a while and think that will do the trick. EXERCISE, GOOD EATING, CONSISTENT SLEEP, and tea...this will do it.
Posted by: Lois | July 19, 2007 5:55 PM
The studies on oolong tea vs green tea are out there for people who want to look them up. More than one study has shown that oolong (wu long) tea also increases short term metabolic rate.
The advertising claims however that wu long is more effective than green tea cannot be supported by the research. The one study that showed a 10% increase in EE for wu long and only a 4% increase for green tea was based only on a 120 minute increase in EE. Had the variables been equal, the results may have been very different.
That said, if the wu long provides the same amount of active ingredient (EGCG), it appears that wu long provides the same thermogenic effect as green tea.
Posted by: Tom | July 19, 2007 5:59 PM
I have never seen Dr. Perricone say that Green Tea will burn your fat away because of the tea itself. He says switch to green tea because of the anti-oxidants AND because coffee increases cortisol levels in many people, which encourages fat storage.
Posted by: Brian | July 19, 2007 6:04 PM
The transcript of perricone on oprah is published on oprah's site.
Oprah said,
"now ive read in your book that you said if I just replaced coffee with green te instead, that I could lose 10 pounds in 6 weeks."
Perricone said,
"Coffee has organic acids that raise your blood sugar, raise insulin. Insulin puts a lock on body fat. When you switch over to green tea, you get your caffeine, youre all set, but you will drop your insulin levels and body fat will fall very rapidly. So 10 pounds in six weeks, I will guarantee it"
So yes, perricone never said "green tea burns fat."
however Many people misinterpreted it and went out to purchase green tea for weight loss. Just one of many misinterpretations or misunderstandings of the facts. And guess what... this is exploited by the aformentioned wu long tea scammers who have pictures of oprah on their websites and who write "as seen on oprah" or "oprahs weight loss secret" yadda yadda yadda (not perricone or oprahs fault, but nonetheless misleading to consumers... FTC are you paying attention???????)...
That said, Id like to see the evidence that switching coffee for tea, completely indepenent of any change in calories, will produce 10 pounds of fat loss in 6 weeks simply by virtue of any effect that "organic acids in coffee" have on insulin and blood sugar
Again, my guess is by removing calorie containing coffees (milk, cream, sugar) and replacing them with no calorie containing tea (plain green tea), that the reduction in calories would account for the decrease in body weight, and there might be a very small (as mentioned in my blog post) increase in fat loss as a result of the thermogenic effect of green tea catechins.
(can you say "calorie deficit?")
Posted by: tom | July 19, 2007 6:07 PM
I have been drinking green tea for several years. I used to brew it then put it in the fridge, now there are so many to buy off-the shelf, I go that route.
My curiousity: does the off-the shelf tea still carry the same benefits, or does the processing diminish the health benefit a great deal? I've also wondered about "diet" green tea, it doesn't have that many calories anyway, what's the point?.
I began drinking the tea for the health benefits, but now it's just part of my lifestyle, and I've learned even the smallest actions are positive if they become habits.
Posted by: James | July 19, 2007 7:04 PM
I drink mostly green tea and water, have for years. Has not helped me to loose weight that I can see but does give me energy. It depends what kind you drink.
Instead of coffee I drink Private Selection Honey Lemon Ginseng Green Tea, no fat, sodium, carbs or sugar and it does wake me up but without the jitters and gives me energy. It also has eleuthero root (ginseng), licorice root (stimulates the adrenals), ginger root (that gets you going) and chickory root (which is supposed to help the heart). Warning: this tea is really good and you can become addicted. :)
I also drink Good Earth Green & Ginseng. Lower in caffeine than regular tea, I have this in the afternoon or early evening. It has specially cured eleuthero leaves, panax ginseng leaf and root and lemongrass.
Yum.
Posted by: Cyndi | July 19, 2007 7:53 PM
Are there benefits to mint tea? I drink green tea with mint and it's gorgeous. It's supposed to help with hormone imbalances in women.
Posted by: Tiggy | July 19, 2007 8:16 PM
tiggy wrote
Are there benefits to mint tea?
There might be other health benefits of various teas (herbal, etc). But in terms of thermogenic effects, the ingredient(s) that seem most responsible are the tea catechins epigallocatechin gallate also known as EGCG, and there may be a synergistic effect of the EGCG with caffeine. If these compounds are not present in the mint or herbal teas, then you would not expect the same increase in metabolism. Some of the health effects of green tea are also related to EGCG although there are many biologically active compounds in green tea.
Posted by: Tom V | July 19, 2007 9:33 PM
A GREAT TEA - Has anyone tried Hibiscus tea? I "discovered" simmering hibiscus with crushed ginger with a little honey to be absolutely delicious! Don't over do the tea by drinking lots of cups all day and by adding honey or sugar. If you make a quart or gallon, it's very delicious and pretty when served cold. Enjoy.
Oh, I almost forgot. Is this healthy?
Posted by: Tee | July 19, 2007 10:41 PM
I moved from Ireland to Taiwan 2 and a half years ago and have started drinking lots of green tea.... it's cheap and it's healthy so great! When i went back to Ireland for a holiday I seen that Green Tea had hit the markets back home as the new weight loss miracle. Prices were a complete rip-off though. Selling ordinary oolong tea and green tea for 20euro a pack. It was a disgrace. Health shops trying to get one over on the consumer. The english names on the boxes were all fancy but the chinese was plain and simple green tea or oolong tea.
So it most certainly is a scam and a rip-off.
Since moving to Taiwan i have lost 90lbs (on the scales 250-160lbs) but much more body fat has been burned and i've gained a bit of mucsle. Maybe the magic tea was the reason?... no...I had lost all this weight long before i got a taste for Green Tea and it is still not helping me lose weight but i still like to drink it anyway! Like Guinness, you get a taste for it!
I lost the weight here by taking up sports, leaving my old bad eating habits in Ireland and training plenty. I found Tom's book BFFM extremely helpful though i didnt discover it until long into my weight loss. That's what i hand people now when they ask me for weight loss advice, i don't mention green tea!
Posted by: David Grimes | July 19, 2007 10:47 PM
I used green tea for one month and I lost 25 pounds, so I guess for me it works. Just like anything else, it is hit or miss with any product, it depends on your metabolisim.
Posted by: cyndi | July 19, 2007 10:58 PM
James, you wanted to know if the store stuff has the same benefits: I've read that the anti-oxidants in green tea are very unstable once it is brewed and are almost completely gone before the 24 hours is up. I'm not sure if the same goes for the ECGCs (the "fat burning" compound), but for the best all over benefits, you should really drink it fresh. Plus all the off the shelf stuff has high fructose corn syrup in it and that stuff is poison.
Posted by: Bianca | July 19, 2007 11:04 PM
I have love chinese teas and have tried all of them all Puerh, oolong, jasmin and regular green tea. after about 8 years of about 4-8 cups (strong) per day I have not lost one single gram of fat - so whatever they're selling out there is complete bogus
My skin have benefitted from it though, because of the anti oxidants.
Energy levels also better (because of the caffeine in it)
But Noooo fat loss.
If I took it black & bitter it would help, because you're taking in less kilojoules (no milk & sugar). that will be the ONLY reason you will lose weight from these teas. after 8 years of use no-one will convince me otherwise.
Posted by: Marion | July 20, 2007 5:47 AM
I have been looking for this wu long tea here in my country and haven't found one. I was planning to go to the biggest retail shop for search for it when your mail came in.
it is really a wonder how people easily scam the masses.
thanks Tom for letting me know that I wouldn't lose weight just drinking green tea. Exercise, eat healthy and add green tea would be my watch word.
Posted by: Rozie | July 20, 2007 7:22 AM
I have a friend who lost 30lbs in 4months just by taking green tea capsules(6 a day) equivalent to 3 cups daily..she doesn't diet or excercise with this either
2 weeeks ago i bought green tea to go singles (orange and mango flavor) I have dropped 2lbs..the differeence between me and her i try to watch what I eat along with some excercise and that alone does not help me shed pounds..i have been struggling few months to get below 170
Posted by: wanita | July 20, 2007 8:30 AM
Tom,
I wanted to thank you for these great informative articles. Everytime you send one I read it right away. I do have a question though...If these teas do so very little, what's the point in drinking them? Are they still considered an antioxidant? And, what would you suggest to help speed up the metabolisim besides working out regularly and eating right? I believe all of us wants a little help when we are trying so hard to reach our fitness goals. I read an article once from another magazine, that suggested we compound our supplements. What would be the correct way of doing this? As you can tell, I'm a very curious and a bit on the confused side of just trying to get this right. Please enlighten me. Thank you!
Posted by: Lenoria | July 20, 2007 8:46 AM
Hmm if i want to drink green tea, it would be for the antioxidant effect rather than for losing weight. Exercising would have been a better alternative
Posted by: KQ | July 20, 2007 9:06 AM
Lenoria wrote:
I do have a question though...If these teas do so very little, what's the point in drinking them?Are they still considered an antioxidant?
1. green tea is a potent antioxidant
2. green tea contains other health promoting biologically active compounds
3. green tea has been researched to investigate at least 18 distint potential health benefits
4. you might like the taste
5. if you are coffee junkie, depending on the caffeine buzz, you could switch coffee for tea and reduce your caffeine intake (15-30mgs in green tea vs 2-3X that for coffee)
6. Drinking your calories is a great way to exceed your calorie limits and get fat. Replacing calorie containing drinks with plain green tea is a great substitution and way to remove calories from your diet
7. There ARE mild metabolism stimulating effects of green tea, they are just much smaller than most advertisements lead you to believe and the research doesnt verify whether this will add up to much total weight loss over time (most studies measured the short term effect on metabolism - what if we habituate over time?)
8. There may be other anti obesity effects of green tea - mouse research suggests green tea could suppress appetite, and other mouse research suggets that something in green tea could prevent fat cell proliferation.
As i mentioned, there IS a compelling case for green tea. When I say "green tea or wu long tea SCAM" I am not saying not to drink green tea, I am saying buyer beware when it comes to weight loss claims in advertisements, particularly a few wu long tea companies on the internet who are blatant liars (and yet they are making millions based on the weight loss claims alone).
Posted by: tom venuto | July 20, 2007 9:47 AM
Hi Tom,
I do alot of research and just wanted to say "How true you are".
Iris
Posted by: iris | July 20, 2007 9:51 AM
Hi there,
I have been drinking green tea for 22 years now, not for weight loss reasons, although it would be nice, but for the health benefits. There is a history of high blood pressure and diabetes in my family and thus far, I have a clean bill of health, (despite being overweight), which I believe is due to drinking 3-4 cups of green tea a day. Also want to mention that, for whatever reason if I don’t have green tea during the day, I crave it. It’s like I’m addicted to green tea. Is this possible?
Posted by: Suzy | July 20, 2007 10:39 AM
Suzy wrote:
for whatever reason if I don’t have green tea during the day, I crave it. It’s like I’m addicted to green tea. Is this possible?
Sure. Caffeine is can be physically addictive and green tea contains less caffeine than coffee, but does contain 15-30 mg per cup.
also, behaviors become habitual... habit not being same as 'addicted" necessarily, but behaviors repeated are easy to continue to repeat and difficult to stop...
which is why we strive to develop positive healthy habits, and green tea drinking is certainly one of the healthy habits compared to what else we could be drinking
have a great weekend
Posted by: tom | July 20, 2007 10:44 AM
I bought and tried Wulong (oolong) tea from one of those websites and of course felt really dumb when of course I didn't lose a pound. I want as many people to know about the scam as possible. I don't want anyone else to lose money to these people.
Posted by: Nadine E. | July 20, 2007 1:29 PM
thanks for sending me this newsletter. i have been drinking a special type of green tea for the past 3 months.i have not loss any weight, (but have only gained increased bowel movement as a result of it)
Posted by: wildcatz | July 20, 2007 3:39 PM
I have seen the oolong tea ads and can't believe the incredible prices asked - like this stuff can only be had at a premium if you want "genuine" oolong. Without commenting on the claims for the tea, you can experiment for very little cost.
I am not connected with the site, and perhaps shouldn't include it as the url given here, but you can get any tea from Prince of Peace, LLC, for under $4 for 100 bags. Sure beats some prices I've seen of $35 for 20 bags. It is good stuff, not cut rate and can hold its own with brands much higher priced.
Sorry to sound like an ad, but these people tithe their profits to World Vision and to a handicapped children's orphanage in Shanghai. Feel free to check that claim, click on my name and that site is Vitacost.com, my source for tea.
Posted by: Mike M. | July 21, 2007 7:46 AM
I wanted to leave two comments for what they are worth.
First of all, the transcript of the Oprah show is revealing in that I have read several studies which say that a person who drinks coffee is not quite as likely to have diabetes because Coffee tends to prevent spikes in blood sugar and therefore, insulin. I remembered that because I like to drink coffee with any sweet, just because it seems to make the item seem less sweet, and also I have been tested for diabetes several times and found to not have it, even though they keep saying I am at risk for it.
The second comment I wanted to make was to anyone who is tempted to buy the WU-Longg tea that is being touted for weight loss. the cost is way Higher than the Oolong tea you can buy at any tea vendor, but all you are paying for is the different spelling. You CAN get more expensive oolong teas, but I suggest you buy them for the flavor.. if all you want is to try it for weight loss, buy it from a reputable tea vendor and get more for your money.
Hope that is of some help to someone. Kitty
Posted by: Kitty | July 21, 2007 9:32 AM
kitty wrote:
anyone who is tempted to buy the WU-Long tea that is being touted for weight loss. the cost is way Higher than the Oolong tea you can buy at any tea vendor, but all you are paying for is the different spelling (oolong)
youre also paying for all that marketing and false advertising!
Posted by: tom v | July 21, 2007 10:00 AM
I always had my doubts. Thanks for filling in the blanks. I really like green tea and it is always better than a sugary soda.
Jeff
Posted by: Jeff Rhodes | July 23, 2007 12:42 AM
Interesting article. I recently heard about some Wu-Long tea weight loss method that would help you lose weight super fast, and is claimed to be better Green tea. So I googled it and found this article. I was very skeptical, because my dad drinks Wu-Long tea everyday for I don't know how many decades and he has never lost or gained any weight from it.
Now I know where those "statistics" come from.
Posted by: kioko | July 23, 2007 1:30 AM
Interesting article. I recently heard about some Wu-Long tea weight loss method that would help you lose weight super fast, and is claimed to be better Green tea. So I googled it and found this article. I was very skeptical, because my dad drinks Wu-Long tea everyday for I don't know how many decades and he has never lost or gained any weight from it.
Now I know where those "statistics" come from.
Posted by: kioko | July 23, 2007 1:31 AM
Hello,
I have a question about the hormone cortisol:
Brian said: because coffee increases cortisol levels in many people, which encourages fat storage.
But I have read the following: Aerobic exercise has been linked with the release of the catabolic hormone cortisol, which is antagonistic to the development of lean muscle mass. Cortisol also promotes conservation of glucose and encourages the use of fat.
So, which one is the true - cortisol encourages fat storage or use of fat?
Thanks (and really great articles by Tom Venuto)
Posted by: Georgi | July 23, 2007 6:24 AM
Hi Tom,
I'm happy to have gotten your email today. It's funny i was just surfing the net last week and came acroos Wu long tea and actually thaught of trying it, but my instincs told me not to. And today i recive this email. I knew it, you can trust the internet and the hundreds of comapnies that claims each and every one of their products work. Like you said it's B***S***.
If you want to lose the pounds and fell good about yourself you have to execise at least 3 time a week and most importantly i learned from personal experience that what you eat counts even more. So my advice for everyone, count your calories, make the right choices and hit the gym at least 3 times a week.
Let's face it most of us do have 3 hours a week to spare instead of watching t.v. eating and complain how come we can't lose those extra love handles.
I would like to add that i also drink green tea, the only thing it's good for is cleaning my body of toxins and giving me some extra energy. As fas as burning fat, NOT TRUE.
Thank you for reading
Sylvia
Posted by: Sylvia | July 23, 2007 12:44 PM
Hi,
I wish I had received this newsletter before I was conned and scammed into buying the Wu Long tea on the internet. I suppose deep down inside I knew it was a scam, but I was hoping against hope that this may work. I really think that companies who put out these false hopes are really praying on those of us who are really vulneralble and desperate to have something work for them. I know, I think I have tried just about everything going and have spent a small fortune. I really wish people could see beyond the external to see the real person inside.
Thanks for listening, (rather reading)
Posted by: Elizabeth | July 23, 2007 7:18 PM
People who drink tea tend to lead healthier lifestyles in general compared to those who drink soda and other bottled crap. Tea is inexpensive and tastes good to me. It's just what I drink. It's healthier because it doesn't have added processed sugars and whatnot. But it's no miracle cure.
The "whitener" and coffee mate stuff that a lot of people put in their coffee isn't too great for you. It's corn syrup and oil! (Not to mention the heartburn it produces...) I like coffee too, but I prefer decaf as I don't do too well with high caffeine content.
Remember, there are no miracle cures. Just hard work.
Posted by: lindsay | July 23, 2007 9:28 PM
Tom,
I love how you "cut-to-the-chase" with your matter of fact style. I have green tea in my cabinet, not sure if I bought it for the antioxidants or the metabolism since it has been there for a while. I, for one, appreciate your hardcore research and effort spent on educating your readers. This ultimately balances out to "WHY WE KEEP YOU AS OUR COACH". Thanks for the solid, no-nonsense advice and constant encouragement.
Shirley
Posted by: shirley | July 24, 2007 8:06 PM
Hi Tom,
I was a waitress for six years and my weight always steady 103 lbs. 4 months ago. I Started a new job working in the office sit all day. I gained 10 lbs. fast. my jeans are tighter and my blouses. I'm so depressed so I went on line check see if I can find a way to loose ten lbs. I saw the Wu-Long Tea advertisement. It seems so real and I was so excited that I can't wait to drink the tea! My husband ordered 1 box for almost 40.00 dollars. The first night I drank tea I could not sleep. The first mornig I weight myself and exited I losed half a lb. Then after 3 days told my husband that we need to order more! It end up spent over 200 dollars. Until now I still weight the same 113 Lbs. They are not honest at all!!! Yesterday saw their Add again saying lose 15 lbs in just 3 mins!!!! Wow!!!
Posted by: Venus Akers | August 2, 2007 10:14 AM
I too tried the green tea regime. I switched from drinking 4+ cups a day of strong coffee (Starbucks Sumatra in a French Press) to drinking organic green tea and no coffee, after I saw Dr. Perricone's show. I actually benefited from the change, but not in lost weight.
I found the caffeine load is much lighter than coffee, so I am actually more calm and relaxed during the day. I was very strict about it for about a year, now I sneak in coffee once in a while and alternate with the tea. But, I did not lose an ounce of weight from drinking tea.
Mr. Venuto is oh so correct - there is no miracle pill, food, drink, etc. - its all about the basics. I did lose 20 pounds of fat once I started a reduced calorie, balanced diet (no miracle foods), and a consistent exercise program with cardio and weight training.
Posted by: Jim | August 5, 2007 10:39 AM
Thanks for clearing the grey areas regarding Green Tea. I, for one, had been taking Green Tea for six months but to little effect. Your article has confirmed my belief about its doubtful utility. May be it is organic but it does not help in losing weight.May your good work continue.
Posted by: Major Venkat | September 18, 2007 1:47 AM
Hi Tom,
Thanks for your article about scaim of green tea. I am agree with you. I am always looking for something special to loose weight. once i was just surffing net regarding weight lost. and I find out about Wulong tea which claims to reduce weight 1 jeans size by week and I was very excited to try that and I ordered immidietly. After drink tea Wu-long tea I didnt loose any pound but gain 4pounds in just one week. I am very disappointed with Wulong tea specially after wasting too much money and trust on bogus advertisement.
I want to warn all reders and net surfers not to go by advertisement and please dont ever buy that tea.
Cheers,
Sonya
Posted by: sonya | October 3, 2007 10:05 AM
Caffeine and weight loss are so closely identified together that few people realize how the con man is cashing in on this association these days. How about caffeine tights, sun screens, and patches? (Goes well beyond Green Tea and Coffee.)
I write extensively on con men and their scams, and just wrote a piece on all this really weird weight loss stuff. Incredulous.
Posted by: Jack Payne | October 4, 2007 11:44 PM
I don't think I ever bought green tea as any kind of miracle pill, but I do like the stuff, and drink it daily. But I also like and drink black, white, red and herbal teas.
I saw the stuff on the Wulong teas and just couldn't believe it. It all sounded like ad hype to me.
What I think is nice, aside from the antioxidant benefits is that there are just so many lovely flavors to tea, so you don't have to be bored and it's a nice change from water, especially when you want a warm beverage. And then it ices wonderfully too.
Has it sped up weight loss for me. No evidence of it at all. But I enjoy it, so what the hey! And I feel good while drinking plenty, so maybe the antioxidants help. Plus, unlike coffee, where I really like to add milk so that it doesn't irritate my stomach as much, tea needs nothing, no sweetener, no milk, it's perfect as is. But no, not a miracle pill.
Posted by: Cynthia | February 5, 2008 2:19 AM
I to fell for the BS. I have been drinking this wu yi tea for 2 months and have not dropped a single pound. so for all the ads that say 10 pound in 3 weeks. BS... So I wasted my money and feel like an idiot.
Posted by: Rhonda | March 14, 2008 12:39 PM