Can green tea preparations help with weight loss?

At least 60% of Canadians are above their ideal body weight, putting them at increased risk of chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis and cardiovascular disease. Weight loss products made from natural sources appeal to consumers due to the perception that "natural" usually means safe. Green tea is one of the most common natural ingredients included in over-the-counter weight loss products available in Canada. Consumers and pharmacists want to know whether evidence supports the use of green tea in weight loss .

•• The ability of green tea preparations to help with weight loss has been evaluated in a Cochrane Systematic Review that included 14 RCTs. Those in the green tea group lost on average 0.2 to 3.5 kg more
than those in the control group over 12 weeks. In most studies, the weight loss was not statistically significant .

•• This evidence does not apply to cups of green tea, typically prepared by steeping a tea bag in hot water. All trials used preparations of green tea that involved extraction procedures that yielded concentrations of active ingredients (catechins and caffeine) that were greater than that produced in a traditional cup of green tea .

•• With a loss of 5% to 10% of body  considered to be beneficial in reducing  risk factors , the amount of weight loss produced by green tea preparations is unlikely to be clinically relevant .