If you are opting for green tea extract supplements as a means to lose weight, researchers have advised against it as supplements could result in harmful side effects, including liver toxicity.
In a study published in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology, researches demonstrate that drinking green tea, instead of taking the supplements, allows you to enjoy the benefits of green tea, while avoiding the risk of liver toxicity. The study also proved that drinking green tea a few weeks prior to consuming the supplements is likely to reduce the side effects associated with supplements.
Green tea is rich in catechins and polyphenols that are natural antioxidants, with a number of studies conducted on animals showing how green tea polyphenols helps in the battle against obesity.
For the new study, the researchers gave mice high doses of the green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). Dietary pre-treatment with the green tea polyphenol protected mice from liver toxicity caused by subsequent high oral doses of the same compound, the findings showed.
Josh Lambert, associate professor of food science at College of Agricultural Sciences, Pennsylvania State University believes that this study indicates that chronic green tea consumers would be less sensitive to potential liver toxicity from green-tea-based dietary supplements. However, the beneficial effects of green tea being reported are the result of dietary consumption, not the use of supplements.
Source: IANS
