Body weight loss and weight maintenance in relation to habitual caffeine intake and green tea supplementation

Obes Res. 2005 Jul;13(7):1195-204. doi: 10.1038/oby.2005.142.

Abstract

Objective: Investigation of the effect of a green tea-caffeine mixture on weight maintenance after body weight loss in moderately obese subjects in relation to habitual caffeine intake.

Research methods and procedures: A randomized placebo-controlled double blind parallel trial in 76 overweight and moderately obese subjects, (BMI, 27.5 +/- 2.7 kg/m2) matched for sex, age, BMI, height, body mass, and habitual caffeine intake was conducted. A very low energy diet intervention during 4 weeks was followed by 3 months of weight maintenance (WM); during the WM period, the subjects received a green tea-caffeine mixture (270 mg epigallocatechin gallate + 150 mg caffeine per day) or placebo.

Results: Subjects lost 5.9 +/-1.8 (SD) kg (7.0 +/- 2.1%) of body weight (p < 0.001). At baseline, satiety was positively, and in women, leptin was inversely, related to subjects' habitual caffeine consumption (p < 0.01). High caffeine consumers reduced weight, fat mass, and waist circumference more than low caffeine consumers; resting energy expenditure was reduced less and respiratory quotient was reduced more during weight loss (p < 0.01). In the low caffeine consumers, during WM, green tea still reduced body weight, waist, respiratory quotient and body fat, whereas resting energy expenditure was increased compared with a restoration of these variables with placebo (p < 0.01). In the high caffeine consumers, no effects of the green tea-caffeine mixture were observed during WM.

Discussion: High caffeine intake was associated with weight loss through thermogenesis and fat oxidation and with suppressed leptin in women. In habitual low caffeine consumers, the green tea-caffeine mixture improved WM, partly through thermogenesis and fat oxidation.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adipose Tissue / metabolism*
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Basal Metabolism / physiology
  • Caffeine / administration & dosage
  • Caffeine / pharmacology*
  • Diet, Reducing
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Energy Metabolism / drug effects
  • Energy Metabolism / physiology
  • Feeding Behavior
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Leptin / blood
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Obesity / diet therapy
  • Obesity / metabolism*
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Oxygen Consumption
  • Satiation / drug effects
  • Tea* / chemistry
  • Thermogenesis / drug effects*
  • Thermogenesis / physiology
  • Weight Loss / drug effects*
  • Weight Loss / physiology

Substances

  • Leptin
  • Tea
  • Caffeine