Green tea can help you lose that belly fat

If reducing that paunch is one of your goals, consider adding green tea to your diet.

A study published in the February issue of the Journal of Nutrition supports the theory that green tea boosts exercise-induced weight loss, and tummy fat may be the first to go.

The study, conducted by researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University as well as research centers in Florida and Japan, evaluated 132 obese adults.

All consumed a diet that was consistent in daily calories and participated in 180 minutes a week of moderate-intensity exercise.

They also drank a daily beverage containing 39 milligrams of caffeine, but one group consumed green tea with 625 milligrams of catechins, an antioxidant that is the tea’s main component.

After 12 weeks, those drinking the green tea had greater loss, 4.4 pounds, compared to just more than 2 pounds in the control group. The green-tea group also had larger declines in total abdominal fat, subcutaneous abdominal fat and triglycerides.

Scientists believe that green tea speeds the rate at which fat is broken down in the body. It may also help the body’s sensitivity to insulin, lowering the risk of diabetes.