GREEN TEA AND

LIPID ABSORPTION
Hanna Hartford
Green tea is a
popular beverage
around the world.
It comes from It gets its green color from the inactivation of polyphenol
the tea plant and oxidase by treating fresh tea leaves with hot water. 2
carries The major polyphenols in green tea are catechins
antioxidant The major catechins present in green tea are EGCG, ECG,
properties. EGC, and EC. 1

Among the green tea catechins, EGCG is the most potent

inhibitor of lipid absorption. 3 It is the most abundant of
the catechins. 3,4
All catechins (EGCG, ECG, EGC, EC) can be found together
by consuming green tea (GT) or green tea extract (GTE). 4
Tea catechins may have favorable effects on body
composition in humans. It has been shown to reduce body
fat and risk for heart disease. 3
 My first three studies investigated EGCG with lipid absorption in rats.
The first study focuses on the dosage of EGCG. EGCG has been shown to reduce plasma
cholesterol levels and the rate of cholesterol absorption, so this study discuses the
effects of cholesterol paired with different dosages of EGCG. 1
How was the experiment conducted?
■ They tested the response based of the dose of EGCG in Wistar rats. Wistar rats were
fed a diet high in fat and cholesterol. 1
■ The rats were separated into 4 groups: The control adding no EGCG to diet, adding
0.2 g of EGCG per day, adding 0.4 g of EGCG per day, or adding 0.7 g of EGCG per
day. 1
What were the results?
■ After 4 weeks of treatment, total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein plasma
levels were significantly reduced in the group fed the .7 g of EGCG when compared
to the control group. 1 Total fat absorption was very efficient in the control group at
99.5%. 1 In the group fed 0.2 g of EGCG intestinal cholesterol absorption decreased
to 73.7% and in the group treated with 0.4 g of EGCG intestinal cholesterol
absorption fell significantly to 62.7%. 1 Plasma triglycerides and high-density
lipoprotein levels did not change much. 1
What does this conclude?
■ This study provides evidence that the cholesterol-lowering effect of green tea is
mostly by EGCG. 1
■ It is believed that one of the mechanisms by which EGCG affects lipid metabolism
is by interfering with the micellar solubilization of cholesterol in the digestive tract. 1
 The second study testing rats with EGCG focused on which lipids EGCG has more of an effect on
preventing absorption.

A study published by The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, investigated green tea as an

inhibitor of the intestinal absorption of lipids. Koo and Noh drew conclusions from their own
study, along side other studies. 2 The goal of their study was to determine whether EGCG
differentially inhibits the absorption of lipids based on the hydrophobicity in rats. 2
How was the experiment conducted?
■ They measured cholesterol, vitamin E, retinol, and fatty acids absorption in a group of rats. 2
What were the results?
■ Data showed that EGCG lowered the lymphatic output of vitamin E 46% compared to the
controls, but it did not affect the absorption of retinol and only lowered fatty acid absorption
by a small amount. 2 This study found a reduction in the uptake of cholesterol, whereas it did
not find interference with the absorption of less hydrophobic lipids, like retinol and fatty
acids. 2 Thus, EGCG may explain the lack of absorption of cholesterol and vitamin E (extreme
hydrophobicity) and the moderate or no effect of EGCG on less hydrophobic compounds
such as retinol and fatty acid. 2
■ In relation to EGCG preventing lipid absorption, this study also found catechins inhibit
pancreatic phospholipase A2 and EGCG was most effective in inhibiting pancreatic
phospholipase A2 activity. 2
■ The study also provided considerable evidence suggesting that green tea and its catechins
may reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering the plasma levels of cholesterol and fatty
acids. 2
What does this conclude?
■ The inhibitory effect of EGCG appears to be associated with its ability to form complexes with
lipids and lipolytic enzymes, interfering with the processes of emulsification, hydrolysis,
micellar solubilization, and in the end absorption of lipids. 2 EGCG appears to be more
effective in lowering the absorption of lipids of extreme hydrophobic lipids (cholesterol and
Vitamin E), with a moderate effect on less hydrophobic lipids (retinol and fatty acid.) 2
 The final study testing rats on EGCG focused on EGCG with caffeine in tea for
preventing absorption.

The goal of the study was to determine whether EGCG and caffeine have an effect
on the intestinal absorption of cholesterol and other fats. 3
How was the experiment conducted?
■ Twenty female ovariectomized, Sprague-Dawley rats were tested on for two
weeks. 3
■ The rats were split into four groups: the control group, the group receiving
EGCG, and the group receiving caffeine, and the group receiving EGCG and
caffeine. 3
■ Each rat received the same amount lipids mixture and weighted the same at
the start of the study. 3
What were the results?
■ The total absorbed lipids and the lymphatic output of esterified cholesterol was
significantly lowered by EGCG, caffeine, and EGCG plus caffeine, compared to
the control. 3 Also, EGCG and caffeine significantly lowered the absorption of
vitamin E. 3
■ Caffeine significantly lowered the amount of lymph flow, regardless of whether
it was infused alone or with EGCG, compared with EGCG alone and the control
group. 3 The caffeine-induced decline in lymph flow is associated with the
slowing of lipid absorption.
What does this conclude?
■ The results indicate that both EGCG and caffeine inhibit lipid absorption and
that the inhibitory effects of the 2 components in tea are not synergistic but
mediated by different mechanisms. 3
 My last study investigated GTE & green tea with lipid absorption in humans

This study followed obese subjects with Metabolic Syndrome. The goal of research
was to evaluate how green tea affects weight, lipids, and lipid peroxidation in obese
adults with Metabolic Syndrome (MeS). 4
How was the experiment conducted?
■ They used thirty-five adult subjects and split them into 3 groups for 8 weeks. 4
■ the control group drank 4 cups of water daily, the second group drank 4 cups of
green tea daily, and the third group drank 2 capsules of GTE with 4 cups of
water daily. The tea and extract groups had a similar dosage of EGCG. 4
What were the results?
■ It showed that green tea beverage and extract supplementation for 8 weeks
leads to a significant weight loss in obese subjects with MeS compared to the
control. 4
■ Green tea beverage further lowered lipid peroxidation and lipid absorption
versus the control, suggesting the role of green tea in improving features of
metabolic syndrome in obese patient. 4
What does this conclude?
■ This is the first study that shows a major beneficial effects of green tea
beverage and green tea extract supplementation on cardiovascular risk factors
in obese subjects with MeS, but more research is needed to figure out how this
process works and the correct dosage for each person. 4
Is there a common conclusion
from all the studies?

In each study EGCG has some sort of effect on

lipids, in particular lipid absorption. The final
article did not make a conclusive connection
between EGCG and lipid absorption, but it
concluded major weight loss.4

The studies are only in the early years of

development and currently there are only a
handful published. Therefore a decisive
conclusion cannot be made, but from the
evidence laid forth, EGCG in green tea and in
GTE affect lipid absorption by decreasing it.
REFERENCES

1. RAEDERSTORFF, D. ET. AL EFFECT F EGCG ON LIPID ABSORPTION AND PLASMA LIPID

LEVELS IN RATS. THE JOURNAL OF NUTRITIONAL BIOCHEMISTRY. 2003. 10.1016/S0955-
2863(03)00054-8
2. KOO, S. AND NOH, S. GREEN TEA AS INHIBITOR OF THE INTESTINAL ABSORPTION OF
LIPIDS: POTENTIAL MECHANISM FOR ITS LIPID-LOWERING EFFECT. THE JOURNAL OF
NUTRITIONAL BIOCHEMISTRY. 2007. 10.1016/J.JNUTBIO.2006.12.005
3. WANG, S. ET. AL EPIGALLOCATECHIN GALLATE AND CAFFEINE DIFFERENTIALLY INHIBIT
THE INTESTINAL ABSORPTION OF CHOLESTEROL AND FAT IN OVARIECTOMIZED RATS. THE
JOURNAL OF NUTRITION. 2006. VOL. 136 NO. 11 2791-2796
4. BASU, A. ET. AL GREEN TEA SUPPLEMENTATION AFFECTS BODY WEIGHT, LIPIDS, AND
LIPID PEROXIDATION IN OBESE SUBJECTS WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME. JOURNAL OF
THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF NUTRITION. 2009. 10.1080/07315724.2010.10719814