Green tea catechins improve exercise-induced abdominal fat loss

An article published in the February, 2009 Journal of Nutrition reported the outcome of a clinical trial which found a lowering effect for green tea catechins on abdominal fat and triglycerides in overweight adults.

Increased abdominal fat is a factor associated with metabolic syndrome, which increases the risk of diabetes and heart disease.Kevin C. Maki of Provident Clinical Research in Bloomington, Indiana, along with coauthors including Jeffrey B. Blumberg of Tufts University in Boston, randomized 132 overweight or obese adults to receive a beverage containing approximately 625 milligrams green tea catechins (including gallocatechin, epigallocatechin, catechin, epicatechin, EGCG, gallocatechin gallate, epicatechin gallate and catechin gallate) and 39 milligrams caffeine, or a beverage containing the same amount of caffeine without catechins daily for twelve weeks.

Participants were requested to maintain the same amount of caloric intake and to engage in at least 180 minutes per week of exercise, including at least three supervised sessions each week. Body composition, serum lipids, and other factors were assessed at the beginning and end of the study. Continue Reading