The Impact of Green Tea on Obesity

Green tea is a popular beverage known for its health benefits, sparking the curiosity of many researchers to study its effects on obesity. At Cruzeiro do Sul University in São Paulo, Brazil, Rosemary Auton led a study on the impact of green tea on obesity, with results published in the journal Cell Biochemistry & Function.

Study on Green Tea’s Effect on Obesity

The research team fed mice a high-calorie diet for four weeks, including fats and a diet resembling a typical Western diet with chocolate, stuffed cookies, and condensed milk. After this period, the mice underwent a 12-week green tea trial while continuing the high-calorie diet. Some of the mice received green tea extract at a dose of 500 mg per kilogram of body weight orally.

Auton explained that this method ensures all mice receive the precise dose required for the study, as the amount consumed cannot be guaranteed when green tea is added to water. For humans, this dose equates to consuming about 3 grams of green tea daily, or three cups.

Quality Standards for Green Tea

The researcher emphasized that not all commercial green tea meets the necessary quality standards, as ready-made tea bags do not always guarantee the required amount or quality of compounds. Therefore, standardized green tea extract, available in compounded pharmacies, is considered the best option for consumption, ensuring the presence of health-beneficial flavonoids.

Muscle Preservation and Glucose Balance

One of the study’s notable findings is the preservation of muscle morphology. Obesity typically leads to a reduction in muscle fiber diameter, but green tea prevented this muscle atrophy. It also increased the expression of genes related to glucose metabolism, such as Insr, Irs1, and Glut4, and restored the activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), an enzyme essential for metabolism.

Specific Effects of Green Tea

Evidence suggests that green tea does not affect the weight of lean animals, indicating that it selectively targets excess fat. Auton explains that green tea requires a nutrient-rich environment to work, supporting the hypothesis that it acts directly on fat cells.

Real-World Effects of Green Tea

Despite the encouraging results in the mouse study, Auton notes that a safe and effective dose of green tea for humans cannot yet be determined. Chronic consumption of green tea, as seen in Asian countries, is considered ideal for combating obesity. She emphasizes that natural and safe treatments should have a place in fighting obesity instead of expensive drugs with side effects.

Conclusion

Studies show that green tea has significant therapeutic potential in combating obesity, especially when used as a standardized extract rich in flavonoids. However, translating these results from animal studies to humans requires careful consideration of various factors such as ambient temperature and appropriate dosages. There is still much to explore about green tea, but these studies enhance our understanding of its health properties and potential applications in fighting obesity.