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Posted on Sep 01, 2008, 5 a.m.
By Rich Hurd
Research suggests that epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a polyphenol found in green tea, may help to reduce blood pressure and improve mood in overweight and obese men.
Research suggests that epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a polyphenol found in green tea, may help to reduce blood pressure and improve mood in overweight and obese men.
Study participants, overweight or obese men aged 40 to 65, were given 400 mg of EGCG or a placebo twice a day for eight weeks. Results showed that diastolic blood pressure in participants given ECGC fell by 2.68 mmHg, compared with just 0.058 mm Hg in those given a placebo.
The mood of participants was evaluated on a weekly basis throughout the study with a mood adjective questionnaire. Results showed that those participants who received EGCG reported a more positive mood and were deemed less tense than the placebo group at the end of the study.
Previous studies have reported that EGCG has cardiovascular benefits. Studies on rats have shown that it can induce vasodilatation and in vivo studies have shown that it stimulates the production of the vasodilator nitric oxide. The apparent effects on mood noted from this study suggest that EGCG may also effect the central nervous system.
Brown AL, Lane J, Coverly J, Stocks J, Jackson S, Stephen A, Bluck L, Coward A, Hendrickx H.
Effects of dietary supplementation with the green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin-3-gallate on insulin resistance and associated metabolic risk factors: randomized controlled trial.
Br J Nutr. 2008 Aug 19:1-9. [Epub ahead of print]
