Why green tea might help burn fat
Efficacy of a green tea extract rich in catechin polyphenols and caffeine in increasing 24-h energy expenditure and fat oxidation in humans.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Caffeine at the same dose as in green tea had zero effect on energy expenditure or fat oxidation.
Caffeine is widely marketed as a thermogenic agent—this study shows it’s useless alone for fat burning, which contradicts most supplement marketing.
Practical Takeaways
Drink 3 cups of high-quality green tea daily (or take a supplement with at least 90 mg EGCG and 50 mg caffeine per dose, 3x/day) to potentially boost daily calorie burn by 80 calories.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Caffeine at the same dose as in green tea had zero effect on energy expenditure or fat oxidation.
Caffeine is widely marketed as a thermogenic agent—this study shows it’s useless alone for fat burning, which contradicts most supplement marketing.
Practical Takeaways
Drink 3 cups of high-quality green tea daily (or take a supplement with at least 90 mg EGCG and 50 mg caffeine per dose, 3x/day) to potentially boost daily calorie burn by 80 calories.
Publication
Journal
The American journal of clinical nutrition
Year
1999
Authors
A. Dulloo, Claudette Duret, Dorothée Rohrer, L. Girardier, N. Mensi, M. Fathi, P. Chantre, J. Vandermander
Related Content
Claims (8)
Drinking green tea extract can help your body burn more fat over a full day—even if you remove the caffeine from it.
Drinking green tea extract doesn’t make your body break down more muscle or protein, because your pee doesn’t show more nitrogen waste — so it’s not hurting your muscles.
When you drink green tea, the caffeine and natural plant compounds work together to help your body burn more calories and fat—something neither one can do by itself.
Drinking one cup of green tea extract with a bit of caffeine and a special compound called EGCG can help your body burn slightly more calories and more fat throughout the day—without changing how it handles protein.
Drinking green tea might help you burn more calories and fat, but it’s not because of the caffeine—it’s something else in the tea, since just taking the same amount of caffeine by itself doesn’t do anything noticeable.