Green Tea Catechin Consumption Enhances Exercise-Induced Abdominal Fat Loss in Overweight and Obese Adults

Abstract

This study evaluated the influence of a green tea catechin beverage on body composition and fat distribution in overweight and obese adults during exercise-induced weight loss. Participants (n = 132 with 107 completers) were randomly assigned to receive a beverage containing approximately 625 mg of catechins with 39 mg caffeine or a control beverage (39 mg caffeine, no catechins) for 12 wk. Participants were asked to maintain constant energy intake and engage in >or=180 min/wk moderate intensity exercise, including >or=3 supervised sessions per week. Body composition (dual X-ray absorptiometry), abdominal fat areas (computed tomography), and clinical laboratory tests were measured at baseline and wk 12. There was a trend (P = 0.079) toward greater loss of body weight in the catechin group compared with the control group; least squares mean (95% CI) changes, adjusted for baseline value, age, and sex, were -2.2 (-3.1, -1.3) and -1.0 (-1.9, -0.1) kg, respectively. Percentage changes in fat mass did not differ between the catechin [5.2 (-7.0, -3.4)] and control groups [-3.5 (-5.4, 1.6)] (P = 0.208). However, percentage changes in total abdominal fat area [-7.7 (-11.7, -3.8) vs. -0.3 (-4.4, 3.9); P = 0.013], subcutaneous abdominal fat area [-6.2 (-10.2, -2.2) vs. 0.8 (-3.3, 4.9); P = 0.019], and fasting serum triglycerides (TG) [-11.2 (-18.8, -3.6) vs. 1.9 (-5.9, 9.7); P = 0.023] were greater in the catechin group. These findings suggest that green tea catechin consumption enhances exercise-induced changes in abdominal fat and serum TG.

White tea (Camellia sinensis) extract reduces oxidative stress and triacylglycerols in obese mice

“…Some authors found reduction of cholesterol in mice (KIM et al, 2009;RICHARD et al, 2009), while others did not find any difference (FARDET et al, 2008;ZHENG et al, 2004). The controversy also exists in clinical studies showing beneficial (HSU et al, 2008;NAGAO;HASE;TOKIMITSU, 2007) or no effect on blood cholesterol (MAKI et al, 2009) after green tea supplementation. Since antioxidant agents such as green and white tea do affect quantitatively the circulating lipoproteins and cholesterol, it is not surprising that they did not affect blood concentration of cholesterol.…”

“…In this regard, it seems unlikely that the lack of effect seen here was due to low dose or short time of experimentation. Nonetheless, clinical studies with active or inactive obese individuals did not support the action of green tea improving glucose homeostasis (HSU et al, 2008;MAKI et al, 2009).…”

“…Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is the main active compound of non-fermented tea from Camellia sinensis, and several studies have shown the beneficial properties of tea made from its plant (BOSE et al, 2008;LAMBERT et al, 2009;MAKI et al, 2009;NOMURA et al, 2008;PHUNG et al, 2010;TAKAMI et al, 2008;ZHENG et al, 2004). In the present study, it was found approximately 20% of EGCG in the white tea extract, which may have an important role in the beneficial effects of tea found in this study.…”

“…In the present study, no effect of white tea extract was observed on the parameters related to reduction of body weight or adiposity, such as weight gain and final weight, visceral adiposity, and adipocyte area. Green tea has been claimed useful for weight gain and adiposity reduction (BRUNO et al, 2008;KIM et al, 2009;MAKI et al, 2009). Nagao (NAGAO; HASE; TOKIMITSU, 2007) hypothesized that the mechanism by which catechins reduce body fat may be related to the increase of energy expenditure.…”

Tea and human health: biomedical functions of tea active components and current issues

“…Wang et al (2010) investigated the influence of tea drinking on the waist circumference, and the results were that for overweight Chinese taking green tea polyphenol (caffeine <200 mg) 458-886 mg/d for 90 d, the body fat could be decreased. A trial involving 132 overweight or obese women over 12 weeks demonstrated a significant reduction in abdominal fat and subcutaneous abdominal fat area in the group that consumed green tea compared with the control group (Maki et al, 2009). Hursel et al (2011) indicated that both treatments of a mixture of catechins and caffeine and caffeine alone could increase energy expenditure.…”