According to a recent study published in the online journal Obesity, green tea might have an even more pronounced effect on the waistline than previously thought.
A recent study by Dr. Joshua Lambert at Penn State University showed that the biologically active compound in green tea called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) that is believed to have the greatest positive impact on health, interferes with the weight gain associated with a diet high in saturated fat.
The research examined two groups of mice that had been put on a high-fat diet. One of the groups was also given supplemental EGCG and at the end of the study the latter mice gained fat 45% slower and absorbed 30% less fat than the control group that ate all the same foods, but without the benefit of the EGCG supplementation.
These results suggest that green tea might interfere with the ability to absorb fat and augment the ability to use existing fat stores as an energy source, although several cups of green tea a day would likely be needed to see similar results in human subjects.