Black, green tea may decrease weight gain, alter microbiome
An animal study published in the European Journal of Nutrition suggests that polyphenols from black tea and green tea may induce weight loss by altering the microbiota and increasing hepatic 5′adenosylmonophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation.
An animal study published in the European Journal of Nutrition suggests that polyphenols from black tea and green tea may induce weight loss by altering the microbiota and increasing hepatic 5′adenosylmonophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation.
The researchers fed four groups of mice different diets: a high-fat, high-sugar diet; a high-fat, high-sugar diet supplemented with green tea extract; a high-fat, high-sugar diet supplemented with black tea extract; and a low-fat, high-sugar diet. After four weeks, the researchers found that the mice who had the green tea and black tea extracts lost the same amount of weight as those who had the low-fat diet.
They then examined the intestines of the mice to measure bacteria and inspected the liver to measure fat deposits. The mice who consumed the black and green teas had less of the bacteria associated with the obesity and more of the bacteria linked with lean body mass. The mice that consumed the black tea had more Pseudobutyrivibrio bacteria and intestinal formation of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA).
The researchers concluded that “both black and green tea polyphenols induced weight loss in association with alteration of the microbiota and increased hepatic AMPK phosphorylation.” They also hypothesized that black tea polyphenols “increase pAMPK through increased intestinal short-chain fatty acid production, while green tea polyphenols increased hepatic AMPK through green tea polyphenols present in the liver.”