By drinking green tea, you may be able to limit how much fat is absorbed into your body, a new study says. According to the Daily Mail, scientists at Pennsylvania State University have found a compound in the herbal drink that slowed weight gain in mice.
And the mice used in the study were already obese, said research author Joshua Lambert. Two groups of the mice were fed on a high-fat diet, with one group also consuming EGCG, a compound found in most green teas. Throughout the experiment, the mice who were on the compound gained weight 45 percent more slowly than the other mice.
“Our results suggest that if you supplement with EGCG or green tea, you gain weight more slowly,” Lambert said.
He explained that the compound in green tea seemed to increase fecal lipids, which limited fat absorption.
“There seems to be two prongs to this,” he said. “First, EGCG reduces the ability to absorb fat and, second, it enhances the ability to use fat.”
In order for humans to replicate the findings in the study, Lambert said, a person would have to drink ten cups of green tea each day. However, just a few cups could help control weight gain.
“Human data…shows that tea drinkers who only consume one or more cups a day will see effects on body weight compared to non-consumers,” Lambert said.
The green tea did not appear to suppress appetite, however, the Daily Mail reported. Both groups of mice ate similar amounts of food.
