Some people would say yes, others aren't too sure. So the question "can green tea help me lose weight?" is one of opinion.

However, the facts and figures that are available all point to this wonder substance as at least having some sort of positive effect on weight loss.

Green tea contains a herb and is one of the four "true teas". It is made only with the leaves of Camellia sinensis and originated in China.

In recent times there have been many studies and tests to determine if any of the supposed health benefits of green tea are in fact true. The majority of these tests point towards green tea helping with weight loss. Some people even believe that green tea lowers the chance of heart disease and cancer.

Only one third of the caffeine level of regular coffee occurs in green tea but green tea contains two caffeine like substances which are theophylline and theobromine. It is also host to antioxidants which really are the key to its medicinal properties. It is also thought the antioxidants in green tea contribute to increasing metabolism and thus, burning calories which results in weight loss.

The down side to green tea is that it is not the best tasting beverage on the planet. Most people add sugar to it however if you are trying to lose weight then this is not something you want to be doing. As such, some companies have come out with green tea diet pills. It means receiving the benefits of green tea without the bitter taste. Some people claim to have dropped 3 pounds per week simply from drinking green tea or taking a green tea diet pill everyday.

Remember, if you are using green tea to lose weight then you need to also adhere to a healthy diet, or else your green tea drinking efforts will be in vain.

Green tea alone won't lose your excess weight, it is when you combine the powers of green tea with a healthy diet and regular exercise. The green tea simply accelerates the weight loss process by enhancing your metabolism and helping your body to burn more calories.

The general advice is to drink green tea while it's hot and to drink it before bed at night. This is when your metabolism is at its slowest but when green tea can have its maximum effect.

Depending on the brand you get, usually 4-6 servings a day is required to get any positive effects. If you're struggling to get 6 cups a day you can try "double bagging", where you use 2 tea bags per cup. This will half the number of cups you need to drink each day.