Caffeine not only helps you stay awake, but a cream made from it can also help tone up your thighs.

The finding is based on a new research that was conducted on 99 women who were asked to use a cream consisting a caffeine solution twice a day for 30 days.

The results showed that more than 80 percent of the women had reduced the circumference of their upper and lower thighs and nearly 68 percent reduced their hips.

However, it is still not clear whether caffeine drives out the cellulite.

The researchers calculated the cellulite changes with a handheld imaging instrument. The image showed little change in cellulite even in the reduced hips and thighs.

The lead researcher Omar Lupi of the Federal University of then State of Rio de Janeiro doesn't see this as a cure. He still considers exercising as a better option.

"This is no cure for cellulite. But it can help women who want to look thinner." Lupi said.

"Exercise is still the best way to go," he added.

The study is published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.

(Agencies via China Daily December 19, 2007)