Green tea plus exercise may reduce fatty liver disease
People suffering from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease may benefit from regular exercise and replacing high-calorie beverages with decaffeinated, diet green tea, suggests new research.
The researchers found that a combination of green tea extract and exercise can reduce the severity of obesity-related fatty liver disease by 75 per cent in mice fed a high-fat diet
Although untested in human
trials, the results suggest a potential health strategy.
"Combining the two might have health benefits for people, but we
don't have the clinical data yet," said expert.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a significant global health problem that is expected to worsen, Lambert said.Because of the high prevalence of risk factors such as obesity and
Type-2 diabetes, fatty liver disease is forecast to afflict more than 100 million people by 2030. And there are currently no validated therapies for the disease.
In the study, mice fed a high-fat diet for 16 weeks that consumed green tea extract and exercised regularly by running on a wheel were found to have just a quarter of the lipid deposits in their livers compared to those
seen in the livers of a control group of mice.
Mice that were treated with green tea extract alone or exercise alone had roughly half as much fat in their livers as the control group.
In addition to analyzing the liver tissues of mice in the study, which was published recently in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, the researchers also measured the protein and fat content in their faeces.
They found that the mice that consumed green tea extract and exercised had higher fecal lipid and protein levels.
"By examining the livers of these mice after the study concluded and by screening their faeces during the research, we saw that the mice that consumed green tea extract and exercised actually were processing nutrients differently – their bodies were handling food differently," said expert.
"We think the polyphenols in green tea interact with digestive enzymes secreted in the small intestine and partially inhibit the breakdown of carbohydrates, fat and protein in food," he added.
