Green tea has been claimed to have various health benefits, especially when it comes to losing weight. A study by Ohio State University has shown that green tea can lower the risk of obesity and reduce the number of inflammatory biomarkers, which are linked with poor health.
A group of mice was separated into two parts for eight weeks. Half of the animals were fed a high-fat diet designed to cause obesity, while the other half were on a normal diet. Green tea extract was combined with the meals of half of the animals in each group. All of the animals’ body fat tissue weight, insulin resistance, and other factors were measured.
The result showed that mice fed a high-fat diet supplemented with green tea gained 20 percent less body weight and had lower insulin resistance than mice fed with the same diet without green tea.
These mice also had less inflammation within fat tissue and the intestine. Further, the green tea appeared to protect against the movement of endotoxin, the toxic bacterial component, out of their guts into the bloodstream.
According to the study, green tea promotes the growth of good gut bacteria, which leads to various health benefits including decreased risk of obesity.
The Ohio University experts suggest that one should not start consuming green tea like water. As per the study, consuming a little throughout the day with food might be better.
Green tea has a long history in Asia and is becoming more popular in the West, owing to its potential health benefits. Catechins, anti-inflammatory polyphenols found in green tea, have been linked to anti-cancer activity and lower risk of heart and liver disease.
