Metabolic Syndrome X, also known as Insulin Resistance Syndrome, is thought to run in families with a history of type 2 diabetes. Excessive caloric intake is thought to be one of the root causes. Consequently, physicians have prescribed weight loss, exercise and a healthy diet to combat it. A new weapon might eventually be added to the arsenal: consumption of green tea, a tea polyphenols product containing in excess of 65 percent tea catechins, derived from the green tea leaf. The results of a new animal model study reveal the benefits of green tea in improving lipid and glucose metabolisms, enhancing insulin sensitivity, and balancing the metabolic rate of fat deposit and fat burning.
The authors of a new study, "Tegreen Improves glucose and lipid metabolism in obese rats that have features similar to Metabolic Syndrome X," are Hong Yu, Zhigang Zhu and Weiti Yin, a . The findings will be presented at Experimental Biology 2003, a meeting sponsored by the American Physiological Society, being held April 11-15, 2003, at the San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA.
The researchers made the following observations:
Establishment of Metabolic Syndrome X: Rats fed the high-calorie diet significantly increased their weight of abdominal adipose tissue and ratio of Insulin:Glucagon, indicating increased adipose lipogenesis and deposit, and decreased fat burning. The glucose-insulin index was lowered by 13 percent in rats on the high calorie diet, indicating reduced insulin sensitivity or insulin resistance and excessive visceral adipose accumulation. These metabolic changes suggested that rats on the experimental diet developed Metabolism Syndrome X.
Decreases in fasting blood glucose: After the eight-week green tea treatment, fasting blood glucose was decreased significantly (by 21.5 percent and 15.7 percent, respectively) in rats given Tegreen at a dose of 25 or 75 mg/kg.
Fasting plasma insulin was decreased by 40.7 percent. The insulin index was increased significantly. Decreases in fasting serum triglycerides (TG): fasting serum TG was significantly decreased (31 percent and 54.3 percent, respectively). Decreases in visceral depot fat and fasting plasma glucagon was increased slightly
This study revealed that oral administration of green tea is capable of improving glucose and lipid metabolisms in an obese rat model induced by a high-calorie diet.
Source: Diabetes In Control Dot Com.
Home - Table of Contents - Donate Now - About Diabetes - Warning Signs - Complications - Screening Test - Diabetes Terms - Site Search - Meet Mr. Diabetes® - Wake Up And Walk® Tour - Latest News - Headlines & News Stories - Health & Fitness - About Us - FAQ - Research Form - - Message Board - Privacy Policy - Legal Notices - How to Contact Us - Comments form - Suggestion Form - Our E-Mail Addresses - Our Address and Phone Numbers - Links - Contact Us