I don't know about you, but it seems like everyday I get junk e-mails touting "You heard it on Oprah!  Lose up to 25 lbs with Green Tea Extreme!"  So, can you really lose weight by drinking green tea?  The short answer is yes! According to a study conducted by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, green tea contains a high amount of compounds called catechin polyphenols.  Catechin polyphenols intereact with other chemicals in the body to burn fat, a process called thermogenesis.  Another study, conducted in Japan also found that people that drank an average of 5 cups of green tea per day burned an average of 70-80 more calories than individuals in the control group.  Even better, green tea prevents fat storage and blocks dietary fat and cholesterol absorbtion.

Furthermore, green tea has numerous other health benefits, as outlined in the articles I found, which you can read here and here.  Catechin polyhenols are also antioxidants which fight free radicals and help to prevent cancer. They also are credited for helping prevent hypertension (high blood pressure).  They prevent blood vessels from contracting and raising blood pressure.  Green tea also helps to regulate blood glucose and may help stave off diabetes.  Other benefits include the prevention of memory loss (the antioxidants stave off free radicals that may damage nerve cells in the brain), helps prevent sun triggered skin cancer if consumed or applied directly to the skin and provides soothing relief to the skin when applied directly to bug bites or scrapes.

The bottom line, go buy lots and lots of green tea (I did last grocery trip!) and drink several glasses per day.  The benefits are well worth it!