The remedial uses of green tea date back thousands of years to China. Green tea is made from the dried leaves of an evergreen shrub called camellia sinensis, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Green tea is an ingredient in many products that promote weight loss. Proponents claim that green tea boosts energy, stimulates metabolism and inhibits fat absorption. Some research appears to support these assertions, according to The University of Maryland Medical Center.
Fat-Burning Effects
Green tea is a source of caffeine, which is often promoted as having fat-burning abilities. According to the Mayo Clinic, a few studies suggest that modest weight loss might occur from drinking caffeinated tea or coffee. However many of these studies used animals and the credibility of the results is questionable. There is no proof that increasing your intake of caffeine will result in substantial or long-term weight loss, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Caffeine
Despite the inconclusive studies on caffeine and weight loss, the caffeine contained in green tea and other beverages might suppress your appetite temporarily, according to the Mayo Clinic. Caffeine might also stimulate the heat and energy your body produces--thermogenesis--from the digestion process. Caffeine has diuretic effects, which might cause you to urinate more frequently and temporarily lose water weight. Better research is necessary before the Mayo Clinic would recommend caffeine as a weight loss aid.
Metabolic Effects
Some clinical studies indicate that green tea extract might increase metabolism and help burn fat, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. The combined effects of green tea and caffeine might expedite weight loss and maintenance in people who are overweight, according to UMMC. It's suspected that the polyphenols contained in green tea promote fat burning.
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