Tea catechins with a galloyl moiety reduce body weight and fat

We investigated the effect of consumption of a catechin-containing drink on body fat level and its safety in healthy adults. The beverage (250 ml/bottle) contained 215.3 mg of tea catechins mostly possessing a galloyl moiety, which included (-)-epigallocatechin gallate 74.6 mg, (-)-epicatechin gallate 34.1 mg, (-)-gallocatechin gallate 77.8 mg. (-)-catechin gallate 24.5 mg. We conducted a double-blind study with three parallel groups. Healthy subjects (98 men and 97 women) aged from 20 to 65 years old with 22.5 < body mass index (BMI) <= 30 kg/m(2) were assigned to consume 3 bottles of placebo drink (control group), 2 bottles of catechin-containing drink and I bottle of placebo drink (low-dose group), or 3 bottles of catechin-containing drink (high-dose group), per day at mealtimes for 12 week (daily consumption of catechins was 41.1, 444.3 or 665.9 mg respectively). Compared to the value at 0 week, consumption of two or three bottles of catechin-containing drink results in significant decrease in body weight and BMI at 8 and 12 or 4, 8 and 12 week, respectively. Body weight and BMI was significantly decreased in both catechin groups compared with the control group from 4 to 12 week. The measurements of abdominal fat areas indicated significant reduction of total fat area and visceral fat area in both catechin groups compared with the control group at 12 week. Thus our present observations suggest that consumption of a catechin-containing drink may be useful for the prevention of obesity-related disorders.