URBANA, Ill. (WLS) -- Just in time for holidays, drinking four cups of coffee daily could reduce weight gain from a diet high in fat and sugar.
A new study by scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found rats that consumed caffeine, gained 16 percent less weight and accumulated 22 percent less fat than those who didn't.
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They tested rats using mate tea, synthetic caffeine, and caffeine extracted from coffee.
Mate tea is traditionally consumed in parts of South America like Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay.
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The herbal beverage is rich in phytochemicals, flavonoids and amino acids.
The study is published in the Journal of Functional Foods.