Effects of dietary supplementation with epigallocatechin-3-gallate on weight loss, energy homeostasis, cardiometabolic risk factors and liver function in obese women: randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial

Study answer

What this study found

EGCG did not add benefit to the energy-restricted diet. Compared with placebo, there were no significant differences in changes in body weight, BMI, fat mass, lean mass, waist circumference, resting metabolic rate, glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, lipids, CRP, or liver enzymes after 12 weeks. The supplement was well tolerated, and no participants withdrew because of discomfort or adverse effects; no adverse effects on liver biomarkers were seen. The active group randomized 43 participants and 39 were analyzed at follow-up, versus 40 randomized and 39 analyzed in the placebo group.

Study & population

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in obese premenopausal Caucasian women from Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.

Intervention

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) was given orally as green tea extract TEAVIGO TM at 300 mg/day, divided into three doses with breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 12 weeks.

Key limitation

The trial was relatively small, with only 39 analyzed participants in the EGCG group and 39 in placebo, which limits power to detect modest effects.

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Original abstract