July 21/Basel, Switzerland/Health & Medicine Week -- A report, "Epigallocatechin-3-gallate and Postprandial Fat Oxidation in Overweight/obese Male Volunteers: A Pilot Study," is newly published data in European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. "Drinking green tea is associated with many health benefits, including increased fat oxidation. We tested the hypothesis that epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the main green tea catechin, increases fat oxidation in obese men," researchers in Basel, Switzerland, report.

"Ten healthy overweight/obese males (body mass index 31.3±0.8 kg/m2) were studied in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover trial. Study supplements were low EGCG (300mg), high EGCG (600mg), caffeine (200mg), EGCG/caffeine (300mg/200mg) or placebo and were taken orally for three days. At the third day of supplementation, O(2) consumption and CO(2) production was measured by indirect calorimetry to assess energy expenditure and fat oxidation over four hours each after overnight fasting and after a standardized test meal. Energy expenditure was not affected by any supplementation, neither after overnight fasting nor after the test meal. During the first two hours after overnight fasting, fat oxidation increased by 7.7% (not significant, NS), 15.2% (NS), 26.3% (p <0.05 vs placebo) and 35.4% (p <0.01 vs placebo and low EGCG), for low EGCG, high EGCG, caffeine and EGCG/caffeine, respectively. During the first 2 h after the meal, the mean increase in fat oxidation was 33.3% (p <0.05 vs placebo), 20.2% (NS), 34.5% (p <0.05 vs placebo) and 49.4% (p<0.05 vs placebo) for low EGCG, high EGCG, caffeine and EGCG/caffeine, respectively. Low EGCG increases postprandial fat oxidation in obese men and this to the same extent as 200mg caffeine, whereas high EGCG does not exert this effect. Fasting fat oxidation is increased only by caffeine (with or without EGCG). There is no synergism of low EGCG and 200mg caffeine," wrote F. Thielecke and colleagues.