Millions of Americans make their annual resolution to lose weight, but scientists say the addition of decaffeinated green tea to your regimen can result in success on the bathroom scale.
"It's the healthiest thing I can think of to drink," Christopher Ochner told WebMD. Ochner is a research scientist in nutrition at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital.
"All things being equal, if you sub 1-2 cups of green tea for one can of soda, over the next year you'd save over 50,000 calories," Ochner said. That's more than 15 pounds.
Tea is rich in catechins which are natural antioxidants. Animal studies show preventive effects of green tea against obesity.
But it is also important to work out and refrain from smoking to achieve the full benefits of green tea's potent antioxidants, scientists say.
Studies in animals have shown that exercise and consumption of green tea is a powerful obesity combatant.
Mice that downed decaffeinated green tea and undertook a consistent exercise regimen dropped a significant amount of weight quickly.
"After 16 weeks, the mice showed an average body mass reduction of 27.1 percent and an average abdominal fat mass reduction of 36.6 percent," writes Jeff Mulhollem of Penn State University in a study published earlier this year in Molecular Nutrition and Food Research.
The mice also experienced a 17 percent reduction in fasting blood glucose level, a 65 percent decrease in plasma insulin level, and reduction in insulin resistance of 65 percent, the report indicates.
As for humans, that equivalent results could be attained with eight to 10 cups of green tea a day plus exercise, the study indicates.
