White tea extract blocks adipocyte generation

The potential anti-obesity effects of white tea have been demonstrated in a series of experiments on human adipocytes conducted by German  scientists. Data published in the open-access journal Nutrition and  Metabolism have shown that an extract of the herbal brew effectively  inhibits the generation of new adipocytes and stimulates fat  mobilization from mature fat cells.

Marc Winnefeld led a team from Beiersdorf AG, Germany, which studied the  biological effects of an extract of white tea, the least processed  version of the tea plant Camellia sinensis. "We've shown that white tea  may be an ideal natural source of slimming substances," he said.

After treating lab-cultured human pre-adipocytes with the tea extract,  the authors found that fat incorporation during the genesis of new  adipocytes was reduced. According to Dr Winnefeld, "the extract solution  induced a decrease in the expression of genes associated with the growth  of new fat cells, while also prompting existing adipocytes to break down  the fat they contain."