The anti-obesity effects of polyphenols

Foods rich in polyphenols, such as cocoa, coffee, green tea, and garcinia, have anti-obesity effects, according to a study published in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

• Researchers from National Taiwan Sport University and Kaohsiung Medical University in Taiwan evaluated the effects of a combined extract composed of cocoa, coffee, green tea, and garcinia in obese mice. They induced obesity by feeding mice with a high-energy diet.
• In the study, the researchers studied different groups of mice: normal diet with control treatment, and high-energy diet to receive control or the combined extract of cocoa, coffee, green tea, and garcinia orally at 129, 258, or 517 milligrams per kilogram per day (mg/kg/day) for four weeks.
• Results revealed that the treatment with the combined extract of cocoa, coffee, green tea, and garcinia could substantially reduce the levels of free fatty acids, triglyceride, total cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase.
• The treatment also reduced the levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, while increasing the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.
• In addition, the treatment could substantially decrease liver lesions.

In conclusion, the findings of the study suggested that a combined extract of cocoa, coffee, green tea, and garcinia may be used to treat hyperlipidemia, insulin resistance, liver steatosis, and related inflammation.

Read the full text of the study at this link.

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Journal Reference:

Huang C-C, Tung Y-T, Huang W-C, Chen Y-M, Hsu Y-J, Hsu M-C. BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF COCOA, COFFEE, GREEN TEA, AND GARCINIA COMPLEX SUPPLEMENT ON DIET INDUCED OBESITY IN RATS. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 12 March 2016; 16(100). DOI: 10.1186/s12906-016-1077-1