Health Impact of West African Green Tea Studied

Recent studies performed by researchers from North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, and Sinai Medical Center, Baltimore, analyzed the effect of West African green tea on cholesterol levels and risk factors that might contribute to coronary heart disease (CHD). The results of this study (Enhanced cholesterol- and triglyceride-lowering effect of West African green tea) were posted online at the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture ahead of print publication.

The authors note that the vert is a special type of green tea widely consumed in West Africa, where it is associated with numerous health benefits. However, limited research has been conducted to evaluate its health benefits. Their objectives were to evaluate the cholesterol- and triglyceride-lowering effects of the tea in the context of different dietary regimes, as well as other health impacts. They were also trying to better understand the mechanisms by which West African green tea improves the serum lipid profile.

The researchers assigned one of nine different treatmentsthree diets (regular, high-cholesterol, and trans-fat diets) and three fluid sources (no tea, diluted tea, and concentrated teato laboratory rats for six weeks. They then evaluated levels of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.

Results showed that rats who consumed the West African green tea had significantly lower serum and liver cholesterol (30% and 15%, respectively), as well as increased serum HDL cholesterol (30%). CHD risk was cut by two-thirds in rats fed the high-cholesterol diet and the tea. The authors suggest that these beneficial effects could be attributed to the significantly high flavonoid content of West African green tea.