Research

Energy balance

Chronic supplementation with green tea extracts rich in catechins (specifically EGCG) significantly reduces body mass index and waist circumference in individuals with metabolic syndrome, likely through thermogenesis and fat oxidation mechanisms.

If you have metabolic syndrome or are overweight, drinking green tea or taking a green tea extract supplement daily for at least 8 weeks can help reduce your waist size and BMI. Focus on products containing a mix of catechins rather than just massive doses of isolated EGCG, as the combination appears more effective. Combining this with moderate exercise may further enhance abdominal fat loss.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Green tea, however, significantly reduced body mass index and waist circumference and improved lipid metabolism... Subjects who consumed green tea (beverage or extract) decreased significantly their body weight... and BMI... without changes in body fat and waist circumference... green tea catechin consumption also enhanced exercise-induced changes in abdominal fat
Marie Josèphe Amiot et al. · Obesity Reviews · 2016

Why this rating

Based on a systematic review of multiple clinical trials showing consistent significant reductions in BMI/waist circumference for green tea, though results vary by extract type and dose.

Source

Effects of dietary polyphenols on metabolic syndrome features in humans: a systematic review

Marie Josèphe Amiot et al. · Obesity Reviews · 2016

DOI 10.1111/obr.12409

systematic_reviewCited 444×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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