Green Tea as An Ingredient in Food Combinations Provide Metabolic Improvements

Abstract

The objective of the studies summarized in the present chapter was to determine if intake of walnuts alone or in combination with two or more other phytochemical-rich foods would ameliorate some of the negative metabolic effects developed from consumption of an obesogenic and diabetogenic, Western-style diet. The two studies summarized in this chapter were designed the same using a C57BL/6 J mouse strain as a model to induce obesity using a high fat, sugar, and cholesterol diet, while supplementing the diet with 1.5 servings/day of various nutrient-dense whole foods. In Part 1, walnut alone and walnut plus green tea supplementation were studied. Based on the results of Part 1, Part 2 studied supplementation with four whole foods (walnut, green tea, cherry, and red raspberry) in combination to determine any synergistic effects. In both studies, the combination of two or more test foods appeared to work synergistically to produce further changes in metabolism than compared to walnuts alone. Key findings included attenuation of weight gain, improved circulating serum insulin and cytokine concentrations, improved hepatic levels of protective omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, as well as decreased levels of hepatic proinflammatory fatty acids.