Green tea speeds weight loss

There are no miracles when it comes to weight loss -- but that doesn't mean you can't get a little help.

Green tea has been shown to boost the metabolism and help the body burn off fat -- and the latest research on mice shows why: One of the compounds in green tea can stop the body from absorbing fat and even help the body to better use the fat it does absorb.

The compound is the antioxidant Epigallocatechin-3-gallate -- but with a name like that, you can see why it's usually just called EGCG.

In recent lab tests, obese mice fed EGCG gained weight 45 percent more slowly than obese mice put on the same diet without the EGCG. They also had 30 percent more fecal lipids, which indicates that the EGCG was pushing fats through the body instead of allowing them to be absorbed.

The one catch here is that the mice were given the equivalent of 10 cups of green tea a day -- or the amounts of green tea no one drinks, except for maybe the Japanese (on the other hand, maybe that's why they're so thin).

But the researchers believe you might get similar benefits from less tea.

Just don't expect any miracles here -- because green tea alone, in any amount, won't make you slim and trim... especially if you stick to the same diet that helped you to pack on pounds in the first place.

Remember, these mice GAINED weight -- they were all given a diet the researchers compared to milkshakes. The ones who drank the tea just gained that weight more slowly.

But if you're willing to make the changes you need to get your waistline back under control -- and give up the milkshakes -- then green tea could help give your body a fat-burning boost.

And that's not all it can do.

Over the years, studies have shown that green tea can fight bacteria, slash your cancer risk, beat depression, improve your vision, boost your heart health and even extend your life.

One study I told you about last year even found that green tea can actually repair the DNA damage caused by oxidation and aging -- almost like a fountain of youth for your cells.

Throw in the fact that green tea is cheap, widely available, comes with no risks and tastes great and you've got nothing to lose -- brew a pot today and start enjoying the benefits.

On a mission for your health,
Ed Martin
Editor, House Calls