According to research from Departments of Nutritional Sciences and Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, green tea might help prevent weight gain. The researchers published their findings in the Feb. issue of The Journal of Nutrition.
The UConn researchers’ goal for the study was to see if green-tea extract would help prevent fat accumulation during the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which has increased in tandem with the rising rate of obesity. Obese mice fed a 1% or 2% green-tea extract as part of their diet had less fat accumulation, lower body weights and lower triglyceride and overall cholesterol levels compared to the control group after a six-week treatment. These results were noted only in mice fed the green-tea extract, and the researchers note that the results were dose-dependant.
The researchers note that further study is underway to attempt to determine the details surrounding this effect.
