Bin those cans of diet soda and throw away that skinny latte. Next month comes the launch of the soft drink that goes a step further than any sugar-free, calorie-free inventions - by apparently burning calories as you guzzle it.

Bringing new hope to gym-phobes everywhere, Nestle and Coca-Cola have created Enviga, a sparkling green tea containing a combination of ingredients - crucially green tea extracts and caffeine - which, it is claimed, work with the human body to increase calorie burning.

According to the makers, consumers who fall within the lean to normal weight range can burn between 60-100 calories by drinking three cans of Enviga. With each can containing five calories, consuming the drink leads to a "negative calorie effect", they say.

"It represents the perfect partnership of science and nature," said Dr Rhona Applebaum, chief scientist at The Coca-Cola Company.

"Enviga contains the optimum blend of green tea extracts (EGCG), caffeine and naturally active plant micronutrients designed to work with your body to increase calorie burning, thus creating a negative calorie effect. It makes this product stand out as unique."

The makers say that the claims are backed by studies undertaken in collaboration with the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, in which research showed that consuming the equivalent of three Enviga beverages over the course of a day resulted in a noticeable increase in calorie burning.

"The accumulated body of scientific research shows the ability of green tea's powerful antioxidant EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) to speed up metabolism and increase energy use, especially when combined with caffeine," said Dr Hilary Green, a researcher for Nestlé.

Dr Thomas Stuttaford, The Times Doctor, said that the claims were plausible but that those hoping the drink would be a magic wand to instant thinness would be sorely disappointed.

"There are many factors that influence the metabolic rate. The most obvious is increased exercise," he said.

"If three glasses of the new drink has an effect of reducing the calories consumed by the body by 60-100, it is not going to make a fundamental difference. The average person doing a sedentary job needs between 1500-2000 calories a day, while a minor might need between 3500 and 4000. So drinking three glasses of the drink is not going to make a fat person skinny.

"The good news though is that unlike most drinks, this one won’t be fattening and make you gain calories. Also, green tea has value, mixed or unmixed with caffeine, in that as an anti-oxidant, it has marked cardio-protective qualities."

Dr Joanne Lunn, Nutrition Scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation, added that previous studies supported the benefits of drinking green tea.

"Evidence is accumulating to suggest that green tea may contribute to a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease and some forms of cancer. Green tea has also been linked with body weight control and has been said to show antibacterial and antiviral activity," she told Times Online.

"However, although all the evidence from research on green tea is very promising, more large-scale human intervention studies are necessary to fully understand its contributions to human health."

She added: "There are no recommendations on maximum intakes of caffeine in the UK for adults, with the exception of pregnant women: it is advised that women who are pregnant or intending to become pregnant should limit their caffeine intake to 300 mg/day (equivalent to 4 cups or 3 mugs of coffee, 6 cups of tea or 4 cans of energy drinks)."

The new drink will be sold in individual 12-ounce cans, as well as six-can and 12-can multi-packs. Customers can choose from three flavours – green tea, berry and peach.

It will be available in north-eastern parts of the US from next month, and across the country from January. British consumers though, will have to wait for the foreseeable future to see whether the drink can live up to its promise. "Obviously, this is an interesting and exciting innovation being introduced in the US, but we have no current plans for its introduction in Great Britain," said a spokesperson for Coca-Cola Great Britain.

Times Recommends

• Should Knox’s trial even have reached the courtroom?
• 'Was it real?' The US bailout nightmare
• Iranian opposition plays the long game