Caffeine may offset some of the negative effects of a potential obesity-causing diet high in fat and sugar, according to a study conducted in mice.
Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the US found that caffeine may show these benefits by reducing the storage of lipids in fat cells and limiting weight gain, and the production of triglycerides.
The study, published in the Journal of Functional Foods, found that rats consuming the caffeine extracted from mate tea gained 16 percent less weight and accumulated 22 percent less body fat than those that consumed decaffeinated mate tea.