Green Tea Extract (GreenSelect) & Xanthigen® (PLT Health)
GREEN TEA
Alternative Medicine Review
Di Pierro F et al. Greenselect Phytosome as an adjunct to a low-calorie diet for treatment of obesity: a clinical trial
Topic:
Is MonoSelect Camellia (MonCam) an effective supplement for weight loss?
Background:
MonCam is a highly bioavailable green tea extract in the form of coated tablets, standardized to contain 60% polyphenols and 40% EGCG.
Study Type:
Human clinical intervention trial
Study Design:
Controlled. All subjects followed a low-calorie diet (1,850 calories for men, 1,350 calories for women). In addition, the treatment group took green tea extract tablets.
Dosage:
150 mg/twice a day for 90 days
Subjects:
100 obese men and women
Results:
Subjects in the treatment group lost 14 kg, compared with 5 kg for subjects in the control group. The treatment group also had significant reductions in BMI. Waistline was reduced for men in the treatment group. LDL, HDL, and total cholesterol, triglycerides, growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor-1, insulin, and cortisol were improved in both the treatment and control groups. Leptin (not tested in controls) improved in the treatment group.
Conclusions:
“Taking into consideration the high safety profile of the product and the total absence of adverse effects observed during and after the trial, MonCam appears to be a safe and effective tool for weight loss.”
British Journal of Nutrition
Topic:
Does green tea extract (GTE) have an antioxidant effect on subjects whose levels of flavonoids and catechins have been depleted?
Background
:
Observational studies have suggested that consuming foods rich in flavonoids may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Can GTE counteract the effect of low levels of flavonoid consumption?
Study Type:
Human clinical intervention trial
Study Design:
Blinded crossover. Subjects ate a diet low in flavonoids for 10 weeks and took either green tea extract or placebo. Then the groups switched places.
Dosage:
18.6 mg catechins/day
Subjects:
16 subjects (8 smokers, 8 nonsmokers)
Results:
Green tea extract increased antioxidant capacity from 1.35[MT2]to 1.56. The effect was most prominent in smokers.
Conclusions:
“The overall effect of the 10-week period without dietary fruits and vegetables [but with green tea supplementation] was a decrease in oxidative damage to DNA, blood proteins, and plasma lipids, concomitantly with marked changes in antioxidant defence.”
Mechanism of Action
Green tea supports cardiovascular health by inhibiting angiotensin-converting enzyme, which constricts blood vessels, thus lowering blood pressure. It also lowers cholesterol by inhibiting fatty acid synthase, an enzyme that is responsible for fatty acid synthesis. In addition, green tea helps increase fat metabolism by inhibiting the enzyme catechol-O-methyl transferase, which inactivates the neurotransmitter norepinephrine. Finally, green tea enhances antioxidant capacity by increasing the activity of superoxide dismutase, an antioxidant enzyme.
Xanthigen and Green Tea Clinical Evidence
Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism
Abidov M et al. The effects of Xanthigen in the weight management of obese premenopausal women with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and normal liver fat. 2010 Jan; 12(1):72–81.
Topic:
What is the effect of Xanthigen on weight, body fat, liver lipids, and blood biochemistry in obese, nondiabetic women with and without nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)?
Background:
Obesity can result in an imbalance in the liver’s ability to regulate fat metabolism. Can Xanthigen, a combination of brown seaweed extract and pomegranate seed oil, help improve liver function and help obese women lose weight?
Study Type:
Human clinical intervention trial
Study Design:
Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled. Subjects followed a restricted-calorie diet (1,800 kcal per day) and took Xanthigen or a placebo and had their weight and other obesity-related parameters measured.
Dosage:
600 mg (300 mg pomegranate seed oil plus 300 mg brown seaweed extract) per day for 16 weeks
Subjects:
41 obese nondiabetic females with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and 151 obese nondiabetic females with normal liver fat
Results:
Compared with those in the placebo group, subjects in the treatment group experienced significant reductions in weight (an average of 13–15 pounds for Xanthigen versus an average of 3 pounds for placebo), waist circumference, body and liver fat, liver enzymes, triglycerides, and C-reactive protein. Subjects without NAFLD lost weight, body fat, and liver fat earlier in the study than those with NAFLD did. Subjects with NAFLD taking Xanthigen also significantly increased their resting energy expenditure (i.e., resting metabolic rate).
Conclusions:
“Xanthigen promoted weight loss, reduced body and liver fat content, and improved liver function tests in obese nondiabetic women. Xanthigen and fucoxanthin also increased REE. This product may be considered a promising food supplement in the management of obesity.”
Mechanism of Action
Xanthigen has multiple mechanisms of action. Its ingredients—brown seaweed extract (fucoxanthin) and pomegranate seed oil (PSO)—have separate actions and they also work in synergy. Fucoxanthin affects the hormones leptin and adiponectin, which regulate appetite, blood sugar, and metabolism. It also up-regulates several fat-burning genes and decreases fat-building enzymes. PSO decreases fat accumulation in the liver. When combined into Xanthigen, the two substances work together to promote weight loss. Xanthigen has been shown to inhibit differentiation of preadipocytes into mature fat cells and may also reduce insulin resistance. It also increases resting energy expenditure more effectively than either of the component ingredients alone.