Green tea and exercising help relieve fatty liver

A new experiment in mice conducted by U.S. researchers shows that green tea extract combined with exercise significantly reduces the severity of obesity-related fatty liver.

Researchers at Pennsylvania State University fed mice on a high-fat diet for 16 weeks with a dose of caffeine-free green tea extract and ran regularly on a "treadmill". The results showed that the lipid deposits in their livers were only a quarter of those in the control group (no green tea extract and no regular exercise); for the mice that ate only green tea extract or only exercised regularly, the lipid deposits in their livers were about half of those in the control group. The researchers also analyzed the levels of protein and fat in the mice's feces, and found that the mice that consumed the green tea extract and exercised regularly had higher levels of lipids and protein in their feces.

According to Joshua Lambert, corresponding author of the paper, the polyphenols in green tea interact with digestive enzymes secreted by the small intestine, partially inhibiting the breakdown of carbohydrates, fats and proteins in the food, while some undigested fats, etc., are excreted through the feces. The study also found that the combination of green tea extract and exercise increased the expression of genes related to new mitochondrial formation in mice, helping to explore the specific mechanism by which the combination of green tea extract and exercise relieves fatty liver. Lambert said he believes it is wise to get more exercise and replace high-calorie drinks with caffeine-free green tea.