Green Tea and Lipid Oxidation By Diego Garzon

Introduction to green tea and lipid oxidation Green tea is one of the hallmarks of Japanese cuisine and culture. While it originated in china, Japan has become renown for green tea. Green tea simply comes from Camellia Sinensis leaves. Green tea is rich in phytochemicals, like caffeine and polyphenols. Some of the many polyphenols found in green tea include EGCG, epicatechins, and flavanols. One of the claims about green tea is that it aids with lipid oxidation. Green tea polyphenols are said to inhibit pancreatic lipase, decrease de novo lipogenesis, and increase b-oxidation.

Study #1 Green tea extract improves endurance capacity and increases muscle lipid oxidation in mice. The study investigated the effects of green tea extract (GTE) , on endurance capacity, energy metabolism, and fat oxidation in BALB/c mice over a 10-week period. The results showed higher rates of fat oxidation, and increased level of b-oxidation activity in skeletal muscle was associated with increased feeding of GTE. Plasma lactate concentrations in mice fed GTE also decreased, but an increased in free fatty acid concentrations in plasma also happened. This suggest an increased lipid use as an energy source in GTE-fed mice. The study showed that GTE are beneficial since they improve enduring capacity and stimulate lipid oxidation, thus helping reducing body fat. Murase T et al. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol, 3.R708-R715, 2005.

Before Study #2: Green tea supplementation affects body weight, lipids, and lipid peroxidation in obese subjects with metabolic syndrome. This randomized, controlled prospective trial used thirty-five subjects to observe the significant that green tea beverage and green tea extract had on body weight and body mass index. The study showed that green tea caused a significant decrease in body weight and body mass index. Green tea beverage showed a decreasing trend in LDL-cholesterol and an increase in High-density lipoprotein (HDL) versus controls. After Basu A et al. J Am Coll Nutr. 1. 1-22, 2015.

Study #3 Effects of Combination of Regular Exercise and Tea Catechins Intake on Energy Expenditure in Humans 14 healthy male subjects of 26 to 42 years of age where either given a beverage containing tea catechins or a control beverage without tea catechins for 2 months. The study aim to analyze how the combination of both green tea and exercise affected energy expenditure in humans. All the participants also engaged in treadmill exercise for 30 minutes 3 times a week. The study lasted for 2 months. At both, sedentary and exercising conditions, fat oxidation was increased. Ota N et al. J. Health Sci. 51(2) 233-236

Ingestion of EGCG Inhibits COMT Greater circulation of catecholamine concentration Increases sympathetic nervous system Stimulates lipolysis Via adrenergic receptors Greater lipid oxidation Loss of body fat Ingestion of EGCG

Relevance to clinical practice A moderate intake of green tea and exercise could be a way for patients to lose weight Green tea is not the only source of phytochemicals. A greater focus on phytochemicals and lipid oxidation might be a holistic approach to reducing body fat without the need for frequent surgeries.

Primary references 1- Murase T, Haramizu S, Shimotoyodome A, Nagasawa A, Tokimitsu I. Green tea extract improves endurance capacity and increases muscle lipid oxidation in mice. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol [serial online]. March 2005;288(3):R708-R715 2- Basu A, Sanchez K, Leyva MJ, et al. Green tea supplementation affects body weight, lipids, and lipid peroxidation in obese subjects with metabolic syndrome. J Am Coll Nutr. 2010;29(1):31:40. 3- Robert J, Robert M, Tarpey M, Weekes J, Thomas C. The effect of a decaffeinated green tea extract formula on fat oxidation, body composition and exercise performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutro. 2015;12(1):1-22 4- Ota N, Soga S, Shimotoyodome A, et al. Effects of Combination of Regular Exercise and Tea Catechins Intake on Energy Expenditure in Humans. Journal Of Health Science. 2005;51(2):233-236.