Low Doses of Green Tea Extract Effective for Weight Loss
Lee Swanson Research Update
A low dose of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) from green tea was found to increase fat oxidation by 33%, according to findings published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
"This pilot study provides for the first time evidence that a single green tea catechin, EGCG, can increase fat oxidation in obese men, at least within two hours after meal intake. Within this postprandial phase, EGCG is equipotent with caffeine with regard to fat oxidation," wrote the authors, led by Frank Thielecke.
Green tea has been studied extensively for its potential in the weight management category, with the compound EGCG highlighted as a key component.
Three mechanisms have been proposed: EGCG could increase energy metabolism and fatty acid oxidation; inhibit fat cell development (apidogenesis); and/or reduce lipid absorption and increase fat excretion.
It has also been reported that caffeine must also be present for EGCG to aid weight loss, as a stimulated nervous system is needed. The new research, performed in collaboration with scientists from University Medicine Berlin, supports the link between caffeine and ECG, but also found that the compounds produce similar effects. A daily dose of 300 mg of EGCG was associated with a 33% increase in fat oxidation, while a daily dose of 200 mg caffeine was linked to a 34.5% increase. When male subjects were given a combination of EGCG (300 mg) and caffeine (200 mg), fat oxidation increased by almost 50%, added the researchers. TEAVIGO® green tea extract was used in the study.
Thielecke and his co-workers recruited 10 overweight and obese men who were otherwise healthy to participate in the randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover trial. The men were randomly assigned to one of five groups: Placebo, low-dose EGCG (300 mg), high-dose EGCG (600 mg), caffeine (200 mg), or EGCG, plus caffeine (300 mg/200 mg). The men took the supplements for three days and then went through seven days of washout, followed by a cross-over to another group. At the end of the study, all the men had participated in each group.
Results showed that during two hours after a meal, the low-dose EGCG supplementation was associated with a 33% increase in fat oxidation. The high-dose EGCG supplementation produced a non-significant 20% increase, compared to placebo. Caffeine alone was associated with a 34.5% increase, compared with placebo, while the combined EGCG/caffeine supplement boosted fat oxidation by 49%. "There is now synergism of low EGCG and 200 mg caffeine," stated the researchers.
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition Published online ahead of print
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April 2010