Connection Between EGCG and Diabetes Studied

Research recently conducted by scientists from DSM Nutritional Products, Basel, Switzerland, has shown that epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) supplementation modified glucose and lipid metabolism and enhanced glucose tolerance in diabetic rodents. The company's Teavigo--EGCG isolated from green tea leaves--was used during the study. The results were published in the Oct. 1 edition of the Journal of Nutrition (see http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/136/10/2512).

Over the course of their experiments, the researchers--Swen Wolfram, Daniel Raederstorff, Mareike Preller, Ying Wang, Sandra R. Teixeira, Christoph Riegger and Peter Weber--assessed glucose and insulin tolerance in diabetic mice and rats given EGCG. They found that EGCG improved oral glucose tolerance and blood glucose in food-deprived rats. They also noted a reduction of plasma concentrations of triacylglycerol and an enhancement of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, among other observations.

The results of this study led the researchers to conclude that EGCG beneficially modifies glucose and lipid metabolism to enhance glucose tolerance. Therefore, they suggest that dietary supplementation with EGCG--either via food and beverages fortified with EGCG or supplements--could potentially contribute to nutritional strategies for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

EGCG is a flavonoid found in green tea. In addition to EGCG, other major polyphenols in green tea are the flavonoids catechin, epicatechin, epicatechin gallate and proanthocyanidins.