Can Green Tea Really Help You Manage or Lose Weight?

Green tea (Camellia sinensis) is a healthy beverage traditionally consumed in Asian cultures. Green tea leaves are a rich source of polyphenols and other compounds with beneficial antioxidant properties. Recently, green tea has gained notoriety as a weight-loss aid, with some studies indicating that certain green tea components may have thermogenic benefits. The theory is that these thermogenic effects-including increasing fat oxidation and overall energy expenditure-could help reduce body fat and body weight.

The mechanism behind green tea’s thermogenic effects remains unclear, however. For one thing, green tea contains the compound epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which may account for several of the plant’s thermogenic effects; however, green tea also contains caffeine, itself a well-known thermogenic, and it is unclear whether any potential weight-loss benefits associated with green tea are due to the tea’s catechin profile, its caffeine content, or a combination of factors. Ahead, we look at what some of the most recent studies reveal about green tea for weight management.


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