Naked bias of green tea action?

White consumers may not benefit as much as their Asian counterparts from green tea in the weight management stakes, according to researchers at Maastricht University.Catechins in green tea - notably epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) - are claimed to increase energy expenditure and fat oxidation.

However, in a meta-analysis of clinical studies into green tea catechins and weight management, there was a marked difference in results, with studies on Asian populations typically showing positive effects and those on Caucasian subjects showing little benefit, said Rick Hursel at the university's department of human biology. Speaking at a Leatherhead Food International (LFI) conference, Hursel said that the results may relate to genetic differences between the different groups.

The findings have reinforced the views of some experts that manufacturers considering using green tea in weight management products should apply some caution. Kavan Ranasinghe, business line manager for food and ingredients at DKSH said: "Although there is enormous interest, many manufacturers are reluctant to develop weight management products based on green tea at the moment because there is a feeling that the science isn't quite there yet." More work was also needed to explore the effect of different food matrices on the bioavailability of green tea catechins.

However, despite this, Unilever senior scientist David Mela said he had seen some "very encouraging" studies on caucasian populations demonstrating green tea's ability to help reduce body fat, making it potentially one of the more promising weight management ingredients.