Green tea can slow down weight gain and help fight obesity , suggests a study by Penn State University (USA) published in the latest issue of the specialized journal Obesity .
In a series of experiments with rodents, the scientists found that when mice were given a component of green tea called epigallocatechin (EGCG) and ingested a high-fat diet, they gained 45% more slowly than those animals that ate the same without incorporating this component of tea into your diet. "Green tea makes us gain weight at a slower rate," concludes Joshua Lambert, an expert in Food Science and a co-author of the paper. In addition, the mice shed 30% more fat in their stools, indicating that this component of the tea limited its absorption. "It appears that EGCG has two effects: it reduces the ability to absorb fat but it also increases the ability to use it, " explains Lambert.
However, keep in mind that to reach the EGCG levels used in the experiment a person would have to drink ten cups of green tea every day. The good news, Lambert says, is that, for now, "human studies show that people who drink just one or two cups of tea daily also notice positive effects on body weight control compared to those who do not consume this beverage. ".
