Green Tea News 2013
October 14, 2013 Written by JP [Font too small?]There are very few trends you can count on in the field of modern medicine and nutrition. The “stock” of virtually every food and/or supplement tends to go up and down more erratically than the Dow Jones or Nasdaq. One day coffee is bad for you, the next it’s being touted as a preventative for Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and liver cancer. For years, doctors have been recommending supplemental calcium for just about everyone. Now, there’s a grand debate about potential cardiovascular side effects involving this essential mineral. And, the examples go on and on. However, if there is such a thing as a bankable food/supplement which has sustained its sterling reputation over the years, it is most certainly green tea.
In recent months, several studies have examined the health effects of green tea consumption and/or the use of concentrated, green tea extracts. Some of the highlights from the peer-reviewed, scientific trials reveal that green tea: a) is capable of lowering liver enzymes and fat in patients diagnosed with NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease); b) improves the benefits of exercise in relation to body fat loss and glucose tolerance; c) when used in an extract form (800 mg/day standardized to contain 45% EGCG) for 4 months, decreases uterine fibroid volume, symptom severity and related complications, such as anemia; d) enhances standard care for ulcerative colitis and leads to significantly higher remission rates; e) taken as an extract or in a brewed form, three times daily, leads to meaningful reductions in blood pressure in those with mild hypertension. In addition, applying green tea topically also yields some rather noteworthy outcomes. Namely, it decreases excessive oiliness of facial skin and, when used as a mouthwash, minimizes pain caused by tooth extraction.
In our household, we make green tea using a glass tea pot. Specifically, I bring distilled water to a slow boil and let it set for a minute or two before pouring it on organic, chlorine-free green tea bags. I allow the tea to brew for about 5 – 10 minutes and then squeeze the soaked bags to extract any residual liquid. The reason for using glass rather than stainless steel is to prevent the documented transference of unwanted minerals (cadmium, nickel) that is known to occur during the tea brewing process. Also, the use of distilled water, as opposed to mineral-rich water, results in higher antioxidant content in the resulting tea. Finally, because green tea also has topical benefits, I use the (cooled) spent tea bags as sort of toner on facial areas that tend to produce oil or sebum – the cheeks, forehead and nose. What can I say? I like to get my money’s worth!
Note: Please check out the “Comments & Updates” section of this blog – at the bottom of the page. You can find the latest research about this topic there!
To learn more about the studies referenced in today’s column, please click on the following links:
Study 1 – Green Tea w/ High-Density Catechins Improves Liver Function & Fat … (link)
Study 2 – Green Tea & Vitamin E Enhance Exercise-Induced Benefits in Body … (link)
Study 3 – Treatment of Symptomatic Uterine Fibroids w/ Green Tea Extract: A … (link)
Study 4 – A Pilot Study to Evaluate the Safety & Efficacy of An Oral Dose of … (link)
Study 5 – A Comparison of the Effects of Topical Green Tea & Lotus on Facial … (link)
Study 6 – Effectiveness of Green Tea Mouthwash in Postoperative Pain Control … (link)
Study 7 – The Effect of Green Tea & Sour Tea on Blood Pressure of Patients with … (link)
Study 8 – Green Tea Extract Reduces Blood Pressure, Inflammatory Biomarkers ... (link)
Study 9 – Effects of Water Solutions on Extracting Green Tea Leaves … (link)
Study 10 – Trace Element Content in Tea Brewed in Traditional Metallic and … (link)
Green Tea Extract Shrinks Uterine Fibroids
Int J Womens Health. 2013 Aug 7;5:477-86. (link)
Tags: Diabetes, Green Tea, Liver
Posted in Food and Drink, Heart Health, Women's Health
October 16th, 2013 at 1:39 pm
I throw some matcha inoccasional smoothies or just straightin hot water.like the grasse taste
October 16th, 2013 at 4:56 pm
Hi Rob,
Matcha is one of my favorites too. 🙂
Be well!
JP
June 30th, 2015 at 7:49 pm
Update 06/30/15:
http://www.clinicalnutritionjournal.com/article/S0261-5614%2815%2900134-X/abstract
Clin Nutr. 2015 May 29.
Therapeutic effect of high-dose green tea extract on weight reduction: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: To examine the effect and safety of high-dose green tea extract (Epigallocatechin gallate, EGCG) at a daily dosage of 856.8 mg on weight reduction and changes of lipid profile and obesity-related hormone peptides in women with central obesity.
METHODS: We conducted a randomized, double-blind trial registered under ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier no. NCT02147041. A total of 115 women with central obesity were screened at our clinic. 102 of them with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 27 kg/m2 and a waist circumference (WC) ≥ 80 cm were eligible for the study. These women were randomly assigned to either a high-dose green tea group or placebo group. The total treatment time was 12 weeks. The main outcome measures were anthropometric measurements, lipid profiles, and obesity related hormone peptides including leptin, adiponectin, ghrelin, and insulin.
RESULTS: Significant weight loss, from 76.8 ± 11.3 kg to 75.7 ± 11.5 kg (p = 0.025), as well as decreases in BMI (p = 0.018) and waist circumference (p = 0.023) were observed in the treatment group after 12 weeks of high-dose EGCG treatment. This study also demonstrated a consistent trend of decreased total cholesterol, reaching 5.33%, and decreased LDL plasma levels. There was good tolerance of the treatment among subjects without any side effects or adverse events. Significantly lower ghrelin levels and elevated adiponectin levels were detected in the study group than in the placebo group.
CONCLUSION: 12 weeks of treatment with high-dose green tea extract resulted in significant weight loss, reduced waist circumference, and a consistent decrease in total cholesterol and LDL plasma levels without any side effects or adverse effects in women with central obesity. The antiobestic mechanism of high-dose green tea extract might be associated in part with ghrelin secretion inhibition, leading to increased adiponectin levels.
Be well!
JP
August 3rd, 2016 at 5:46 pm
Updated 08/03/16:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27450231
BMC Complement Altern Med. 2016 Jul 22;16(1):233.
Effects of Greenselect Phytosome® on weight maintenance after weight loss in obese women: a randomized placebo-controlled study.
BACKGROUND: Most subjects regain weight after weight loss due to compensatory adaptations finalized to maintain stable body energy stores. Green tea (GT) preparations, which help maintain energy expenditure while dieting could be a useful strategy to facilitate weight maintenance. The usefulness of GT preparations in weight maintenance has been poorly studied so far with conflicting results. This study evaluated if a supplement of GSP and piperine helps obese women to maintain the weight loss obtained with a 3-month lifestyle intervention.
METHODS: In a randomized placebo-controlled study, we examined whether a highly bioavailable GT extract may counteract weight regain after weight loss. Forty obese women (age 50.1 ± 10.1 years, Body Mass Index (BMI) 36.3 ± 2.7 kg/m(2)) underwent a 3-month lifestyle intervention. At the end of the intervention, the women were randomized in two groups for the weight-maintenance phase: 20 of them were prescribed twice a day, for 3 months, with a formula containing 150 mg/dose of Greenselect Phytosome® and 15 mg/dose of pure piperine (GSP group), and 20 were given placebo (P group). Anthropometric measures and body composition were measured before (V-3) and after lifestyle intervention (V0), 1 (V1), 2 (V2), and 3 (V3) months after prescribing supplements and 3 months following the discontinuation of supplements (V6).
RESULTS: Lifestyle intervention induced a significant weight reduction in both groups with similar weight change (-6.2 ± 2.6 in GSP group vs. -4.8 ± 3.1 % in P group). In the GSP group, V1 in comparison to V0, had further reduction in weight and fat mass, which remained stable at V2 and V3 and increased at V6. In the P group, weight and fat mass increased from V2 onwards. Weight changes in GSP group and P group from V0 to V3 were -1.0 kg (95 % CI -2.5 to +0.5) and + 0.3 kg (95 % CI -0.9 to +1.6), respectively. The proportion of women with weight loss ≥ 5 % was greater in the GSP group than in the P group (75 % vs. 45 % at V1, and 60 % vs. 30 % at V6, p < 0.05 for both groups). CONCLUSIONS: Greenselect Phytosome® devoid of caffeine may have a clinical potential for the maintenance of weight after intentional weight loss. Be well! JP
January 30th, 2018 at 4:26 pm
Updated 1/30/18:
https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/148/1/70/4774510
J Nutr. 2018 Jan 1;148(1):70-76.
Consuming Green Tea at Least Twice Each Day Is Associated with Reduced Odds of Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease in Middle-Aged and Older Korean Adults.
Background: The frequent consumption of green tea has been shown to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and to reduce the risk of lung cancer and type 2 diabetes. However, few studies have investigated the relation between green tea consumption and the risk of chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD).
Objective: This study aimed to examine the association between green tea intake and COPD with the use of a nationwide representative database.
Methods: This study was designed as a cross-sectional survey with the use of data from the Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey collected between 2008 and 2015. Of these participants, 13,570 participants aged ≥40 y were included in the study population. COPD was defined as forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) divided by forced vital capacity (FVC) <0.70. Multiple linear and logistic regression models were used to examine the association between the frequency of green tea intake and risk of COPD after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and socioeconomic status.
Results: The incidence of COPD decreased from 14.1% to 5.9% with increased frequency of green tea intake from never to ≥2 times/d (P < 0.001). In the fully adjusted multiple linear regression model, the frequency of green tea intake showed a linear dose-response relation with FEV1/FVC (P-trend = 0.031). In the multiple logistic regression model, the OR for COPD among people who consumed green tea ≥2 times/d was 0.62 (95% CI: 0.40, 0.97), compared with those who never drank green tea, after adjusting for all covariates. Conclusion: This study suggests that the consumption of green tea ≥2 times/d is associated with a reduced risk of COPD in Korean populations. Be well! JP
March 14th, 2019 at 1:54 pm
Updated 03/14/19:
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2018.0455?
J Altern Complement Med. 2019 Mar 5.
Effect of Black Tea and Green Tea on the Radial Pulse Spectrum in Healthy Human.
The consumption of black tea and green tea has been shown to be beneficial for cardiovascular health. Because the chemical composition of the two teas varies widely, the purpose of the study was to investigate whether the consumption of green tea and black tea had different effects on the arterial system. Thirty-three healthy subjects received a single dose of green tea (dose = 0.05 g/kg) and black tea (dose = 0.05 g/kg) in different weeks. Radial blood pressure and radial pulse pressure were measured before and after drinking tea. The harmonic analysis was performed on radial pressure waves, and harmonics (Cns) were recorded. The results showed that both black tea and green tea consumption significantly increased the C1, C2, C6, C7, C8, C9, and C10 of the radial pressure wave. Furthermore, the results confirmed that the consumption effect of green tea on C6-C10 increase is greater than that of black tea. This report also found a subtle difference that consumption of green tea increased C4, whereas consumption of black tea increased C3. We concluded that black tea and green tea have similar patterns in higher harmonics, but with varying degrees.
Be well!
JP