In the February edition of The Journal of Nutrition there was a preliminary study showing that mice with an obesity gene that ate food containing green tea extract did gain less weight and overall gained less fat. Those same obesity-gene mice experienced lower levels of fat in the liver and did not have the same signs of fatty liver disease that the mice did that did not have green tea extract in their food. The mice also had lower triglyceride levels and lower cholesterol levels than the mice without green tea extract in their food.
Of course the amount of green tea extract the mice received is equivalent to what a person would get after drinking seven cups of green tea a day. It may be easier for a person to consume that green tea iced, depending on preference. Start with a cup in the morning and then alternate green tea with water through the day. That will keep a person hydrated as well.
While these results are preliminary (the scientists don’t know how the mice results will correlate to human results) a person attempting to maintain a long-term healthy diet might want to consider adding at least a cup of green tea to the list of diet foods, just in case. While this certainly won’t make you lose weight, drinking eight to ten glasses of water every day is recommended to stay hydrated and to help you stave off cravings along the way.
Whether you are just beginning a weight loss program or you are at the stage of maintaining your current weight, talk with Dr. Ziltzer and Dr. Primack about foods such as green tea, that can help you with long-term weight loss success.