The benefits of green tea might include blocking fat and keeping extra pounds at bay, according to preliminary lab tests in mice.

Don't skip over that word "preliminary." There's no proof yet that sipping green tea will do the same for people. Staying in shape continues to be a balancing act between calories and activity.

Here's what those preliminary lab tests in mice show:

Less weight and fat gain. Among mice with an obesity gene, those that ate chow laced with green tea extract gained less weight and less fat.

Less fat in the liver. There was less sign of " fatty liver" disease in the mice with the obesity gene that ate chow laced with green tea extract.

Lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels in mice with the obesity gene that ate the chow laced with green tea extract, compared to other mice with the same obesity gene.

A healthy liver isn't fatty. But obesity -- in mice or in people -- can lead to fatty buildup in the liver and cause nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

As for that green tea extract, the study used it in doses equal to what a person would get from drinking at least seven cups of green tea a day.

最新的实验室初步生物实验表明，绿茶有助于机体减少体内脂肪和保持体重。

不要忽略初步这个词呦!现在还没有证据表明人类喝绿茶也有同样的效果。现在要想保持身材还是应该保持摄入的热量和活动消耗能量的比例平衡的问题。

下面是实验室初步生物实验的结果：

减少机体体重和体内脂肪的增加。在有肥胖基因的小鼠中，食用含有绿茶提取物的食物的实验组小鼠体重和体内脂肪增加较少。

肝脏内脂肪量较少。在食用含有绿茶提取物的食物的有肥胖基因的实验组小鼠中很少有脂肪肝病症的发生。

相对于其它有肥胖基因的小白鼠而言，实验组小鼠体内胆固醇和甘油三酸酯含量较低。

一个健康的肝脏应该是没有太多脂肪的。但是无论是小鼠还是人类的肥胖都会导致肝脏脂肪量增加，并导致非酒精性脂肪肝疾病的发生。

相对于绿茶提取物而言，实验所用的剂量相当于人类每天喝7杯茶所能摄取的功能因子的量。