Does Great Tea Really Burn Fat?

Wait, That Actually Works?: Somewhere along the way, you may have heard that green tea “burns fat” and thought it sounded too good to be true. Turns out, there’s some real science behind it. In a new study from Brazil, researchers found that green tea extract helped obese mice lose weight and improve their metabolism, even when the room stayed at a neutral temperature (which rules out the boost you get from being cold).

The Study: Obese mice who were given a standardized green tea extract for 12 weeks lost up to 30% of their body weight and showed improved blood sugar control. Interestingly, the same effect didn’t occur in lean mice, which suggests green tea may work only when there’s extra fat to target.

The Takeaway: The study reinforces the idea that green tea can play a modest role in fat loss. So, yes, regularly drinking green tea — about three to five cups a day — may support your goals if you have extra weight to lose. But it’s not a substitute for diet and exercise.

Keep in Mind: This particular study was done in mice, so we can’t say for sure the same thing would happen in people.