I've heard that Green Tea can help with metabolism, weight loss, and a ton of other stuff I'm too lazy to name.
Question 1, is it true?

If so, what's a common good brand that I could find at say, a walmart/big lots?
What should I avoid when looking for a brand?
How should it be prepared, like regular warm tea?
Is the ready-made kind bad for you?
And how many calories is in one cup, no sugar or anything.

From what I've read, the metabolic effect is tiny. And I have drank green tea for 20 years just because I prefer the taste, and for 18 of those years I was 100 lbs. overweight.

However, I do believe it can help weight loss efforts for folks who start drinking unsweetened green tea (hot or cold) instead of sweetened drinks like soda.

I've heard that too, carmelwhitworth. I've been making some ginger-green tea (both are supposed to help with metabolism, although as caryesings notes, it is not a large boost). I bring about 1 cup of water to a near-boil in a kettle, pour it into a heat-proof tumbler, set it steep for 5 minutes, and then fill the glass with ice. Instant iced tea! (use heat-proof container though, otherwise you can crack the class with the temperature change).

Another method is to make sun-tea, set about 5-6 bags in a clear glass container (about 2 quart), cover, and let sit out in the hot sun for 2-3 hours. Remove bags, and refrigerate.

One ginger-green tea I purchased is a little bitter, another, one, with lemon and ginger, seems naturally sweet to me. So try a few brands to find one you like. I hope this is of some help!

Thanks for the info!
I've been drinking organic green tea for a while now, lost about half a pound. Probably a coincidence, but it's still good.

Unfortunately, I have to change the brand I'm drinking.
Does anyone know if Lipton organic green tea is still good?

I think the benefits of green tea are highly exagerated. However, I find drinking it (along with other non-sweetened, milk-free teas) definitely stops me from snacking on other foods, and helps with cravings.

When I was younger me and my sibs lived on soda so when my mother made the big switch to tea only we lost weight like crazy, but we also drank soda like it was water. The one thing I did notice when we started with tea was I had to go to the bathroom a lot I mean a lot a lot for about the first week but once we got used to it. It worked out nice. We even started going to walks everyday. So I guess it just depends on what you were drinking first.

The most famous published study done on green tea involved a very small group of men. They drank 4 cups of green tea every day and lost 8 pounds - over the course of one whole year.

It's loaded with antioxidants which help prevent diseases such as cancer, but any effect on weight is minimal. However, many people find that they lose weight because they replace a calorie laden beverage or snack with a calorie free cup of tea, so it can help!

Personally, I've been drinking green tea regularly for the last 10 years and it's had no effect on my weight.

Me too... been drinking it for a year now. I now drink it instead of coffee. But no help with weight loss. It's very good for you though, so I keep drinking it for the health benefits.

Green tea helps boost metabolism, I’ve been out and bought some..
Currently supping at it, gonna take a little getting used to

Having heard all the benefits of green tea, I've been trying to drink some, but when I drank a mug of it this morning on an empty stomach I was instantly nauseous. I Googled "Green tea, nausea" and found out this is a pretty common thing. Some people are very sensitive to the tannins in the tea.

Glad to know everyone's take on this....I've wondered if it would help me lose the last of my weight. I'll drink some for my health, but not hold my breath for it to help with weight loss.

Hi All, I'm a mega fan of loose green tea, I am the same as some on here I don't thing green tea can really help you lose the weight as mentions by the Doctor but I do think from my own personal experience that green tea give you more energy and for me motivation which would for sure help and aid weight lose when it come to exercising, as you have that little more in you to push a little more hence lose a little more weight. I have been drinking green tea for over 5 years now daily, the reason I started drinking it was at work I was having a mid morning crash whereby I would just want to close my eyes but Green Tea chance this. I buy my green tea from The Kent and Sussex Tea and Coffee Company, tea-and-coffee com which I would recommend to all as they have a huge selection and like many people who dislike the taste they have quite a lot of flavoured green teas too.

Benefits of green tea aren't hidden from anyone. But to be honest, green tea alone doesn't make much difference if consumed 2 to 3 cups every day. A number of studies have been conducted to test the theory that green tea can help with weight loss. It's important to note that most of these studies used green tea extract, not the actual tea. Drinking regular green tea may not help you lose any weight, according to a 2012 clinical study published in Obesity, which compared the effects of drinking regular green tea and a catechin-rich green tea on weight loss in a group of men and women with type 2 diabetes. While the group drinking catechin-rich tea lost a half-pound over the 12-week study period, the group drank a lower-catechin green tea gained half a pound.

I prefer the taste of black tea, so I make a mixed pot with both green and black tea to drink through the day. Like others have noted, the metabolic effect of the catechins is tiny and you cannot expect to notice the effect. However, it a different mechanism than the effect of caffeine, so the effect is additive. In addition, research seems to indicate that the catechins, flavonoids, and other polyphenols seems to provide health benefits.

I would think if you make the substitution of unsweetened green tea for coffee with cream and sugar, that over time you would see some benefit. It's also supposed to be good for your cholesterol. I try and drink a couple of cups of unsweetened green tea instead of coffee a day.

On a side-note, I've seen an improvement in my acid reflux as a result.