Scientists from Japan have found that supplements containing epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) – a polyphenol found in green tea – may help with weight management by increasing metabolic rate.
In the study, which was published in The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, the researchers reviewed eight randomized controlled trials consisting of 268 subjects who were given between 300mg to 800mg of EGCG daily for between two days to 12 weeks.
“From the available evidence in this systematic review and meta-analysis, it is clearly evident that EGCG has the propensity of increasing metabolic rate even at a low dose (ca. 300mg per day),” the authors wrote. They also said that the EGCG supplement was associated with moderately reduced respiratory quotient and increased energy expenditure.
