A new study reports drinking four cups of a coffee per day could reduce weight gain from a diet high in fat and sugar.

The study was conducted by scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and published in the Journal of Functional Foods.

According to scientists, they tracked rats and discovered those that had caffeine gained 16% less weight and accrued 22% less fat than those without it.

The scientists tested the rats using tea, synthetic caffeine and caffeine extracted from coffee.