Green tea again

[Tas]

The Chinese girls have been swearing by the stuff for years, and tell me this routinely to help with weight and should take with fatty food. Bit of mousie research tracking the fat uptake.

Green tea inhibits weight gain: study Luke Malone

October 7, 2011 - 1:03PM

There has never been a better time to go green, according to a team of US food scientists who say that green tea may slow weight gain and has the potential to play an integral role in the battle against obesity.

Publishing their findings in online journal Obesity, researchers from Pennsylvania State University found that a control group of obese mice who were fed Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) - a compound found in most green teas - in addition to a high-fat diet gained weight 44 per cent slower than their counterparts who were fed the same diet without the compound.

"Our work suggests that EGCG inhibits an enzyme called pancreatic lipase (PL), which is secreted into the intestine when you eat and is the most important enzyme for the digestion of dietary fat," explains study author Joshua Lambert, assistant professor of food science at Pennsylvania State University. "EGCG, in the test tube, inhibits this enzyme at relatively low concentrations. Definitely concentrations that are achieved in the intestine when you drink a cup or two of tea."

Advertisement: Story continues below The study also proposes that it could provide a cheap alternative to clinical weight-loss drugs, proving to be as effective while lacking the sometimes debilitating side effects. Though Lambert advocates drinking tea over the use of pills containing pure compounds, as human case studies have shown links between consumption of high doses of green tea-based dietary supplements and liver toxicity.

"We think this mechanism is relevant in animals, and probably in people, because mice treated with EGCG have elevated faecal fat content," he adds. "To us, this suggests that the fat is not being digested, and is instead passing through the intestine and into the faeces. One pertinent point is the PL is the target for Orlistat [Australian trade name Xenical], a clinically used drug for weight loss."

The findings support earlier research undertaken at the Department of Human Biology, Nutrition and Toxicology Research Institute at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. Scientists there conducted a meta-analysis of multiple studies on the effects of green tea on weight loss and weight maintenance in humans and concluded that its consumption "significantly decreased body weight and significantly maintained body weight" after a period of weight loss.

"It has only been scientifically evaluated in the past 11 years, and it is thought that the combination of EGCG and caffeine are responsible for the weight loss," says Teresa Mitchell-Paterson, Head of Academic Studies (Natural Therapies) at the Australasian College of Natural Therapies. "However the consumption of caffeine alone does not give the same fat-loss benefit."

Extrapoloating from the mice study, Lambert says a human being would have to drink 10 cups of green tea per day to ingest a dose of EGCG equivalent to that given to the mice, but further research is required to establish a more effective dose, and what the magnitude of the effect actually is.

It's advised that those with heart conditions or major cardiovascular problems strictly limit their intake of caffeine, while pregnant and breast-feeding women should drink no more than one-to-two cups of green tea per day, since it can cause an increase in heart rhythm. Given these concerns, Mitchell-Paterson says a more pragmatic approach might be suitable for everyone.

"Studies suggest that approximately 150mgs of green tea is needed to gain a therapeutic effect, which is approximately three-to-four cups daily," she says. "Dosage must be kept to three-to-four cups per day due to the caffeine content of green tea, [and] there is no data regarding toxicity of long term use."


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/diet-an ... z1a3kHAMcp

[slinky]

I saw an article on this yesterday too, Tas. Seems green tea has quite a lot of benefits. I like black tea better though -- good thing there are some decent benefits to it as well. I can't do straight green tea - tastes too much like fish to me - I have to get some with flavoring of some kind in it.

[Lili Von Shtupp]

I go back and forth between green and black tea, because like slinky I just like the taste of black tea better. But this is a very compelling reason to switch completely.

[slinky]

Not sure you need to switch completely, Lili, I'd say drink both Here is a pretty comprehensive list of the benefits of black tea:
http://www.teabenefits.com/black-tea-benefits.html

[Tas]

I just like my bog standard black tea with a level spoon of sugar and a splash of full cream milk, one teaspoon short of workers tea

[Fat Bob]

Why not have dark green tea: i.e. a mixture of black for the taste and green for the health benefits?

[BoD]

If I want a double shot coffee, I go for one shot with caffeine and one decaf

[Fat Bob]

I've had a pint of mix before: half bitter half mild. Prefer one or the other really!

[BoD]

One red one, one white one..?

[Sardonicus]

A Black & Green. Sounds like something on St. Patrick's.

I like green tea but the stuff makes me too jittery, whereas my one daily coffee usually doesn't.

I gave up coffee for 2 years and drank green tea but it didn't quite wake me up like coffee does.

[Inax]

I like green tea rather than black tea.

[Fat Bob]

Insightful indeed.

[BoD]

isn't that rather teaist?

[Puffined]

I've also heard about green tea useful features but I think it can't help reduce weight.. You should better go for sports and eat less..

[hupper124]

green tea is highly beneficial for diabetic patients. my doctor suggested me to intake it, it tastes very bad and when i told my doctor about this he suggested me to take gran tea capsules. i did not know that there are also green tea capsules available

[jatiwat98]

green tea is highly beneficial for diabetic patients. my doctor suggested me to intake it, it tastes very bad and when i told my doctor about this he suggested me to take gran tea capsules. i did not know that there are also green tea capsules available

yes there are green tea capsules available in the market but according to a scientific research natural green tea is much more beneficial than capsules.

[Sardonicus]

Last two poster's comments are, as usual, fascinating.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFods1KSWsQ

[Tas]

Ooooo have bookmarked that one S! It is too fascinating not too.