Fact or Fiction

In 2005, Fortune 500-ranked Oprah Winfrey among the top five most powerful women in business. So when Oprah featured a doctor on her show who guaranteed it was possible to lose 10 pounds in six weeks by drinking green tea, America took notice.\nBut while some experts claim green tea is effective in promoting weight loss, many skeptics still consider it a fad.\n"I think that continued studies are going to be important, but it is certainly a possibility that green tea can promote weight loss," said Stacey Matavuli, a registered dietician at Bloomington Hospital. "I think the challenging part is that one brand of green tea might have a different concentration of the active ingredient than another brand." \nStudies have shown green tea to be an effective nutritional supplement. According to researchers at the Linus Pauling Institute, oolong, or green-tea extract, resulted in a 3 percent to 4 percent average increase in energy used by the body. Researchers defined oolong teas as those that are fermented, then heated and dried. That means oolong tea is more concentrated than green tea alone.\nThe American Journal of Clinical Nutrition recently published a study validating green tea's effectiveness. The study indicated that the intake of the polyphenols, the major component of green tea, can lead to a decrease in body fat percentage and cholesterol. Matavuli said she usually does not recommend dietary supplements. Instead, drinking green tea would be helpful in leading a healthier lifestyle, she said.\n"If people want to try it, it's not going to be harmful, necessarily. It has good antioxidants in it because it's a plant-based food," Matavuli said. "So there are going to be some benefits, even if it's not the weight loss." \nAccording to the Maryland Medical Center's Web site, there are only minimal side effects associated with green tea, such as muscle pain, headaches, dizziness and abdominal pain. However, these usually occur when large amounts of green tea are consumed, the study said.\nResearchers often base the quantity of tea given to research subjects on the amount of green tea typically consumed in Asian countries, which is about three cups per day. The Maryland Center listed that several tablets and capsules of green tea extract are available, many of which provide the equivalent of up to four cups of green tea.\nGreen tea should not be the only factor of a weight-loss plan and should be incorporated with diet and exercise, Matavuli said.\n"Long-term weight loss takes behavior changes, and drinking green tea isn't enough of a behavior change to get extended results," Matavuli said. "Weight loss is about calories in versus calories out"