Effects of green tea on lipid profile in overweight and obese women

The effect of green tea administration on serum lipids' concentrations remains unclear as various investigations, which have explored this topic, have produced conflicting results. Gender might be one of the factors influencing the impact of green tea on the lipid profile. Hence, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the effect of green tea intake on the lipid profile in overweight and obese women. We searched five databases (Web of Science, SCOPUS, Embase, PubMed/Medline, and Google Scholar) using a combination of MeSH and non-MeSH terms. Results were expressed as weighted mean differences (WMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and synthesized with a random-effects model. In total, 15 eligible RCTs with 16 arms (1818 participants) were included in the meta-analysis. The combined effect size revealed a significant reduction in total cholesterol (TC) (WMD: -4.45 mg/dl, 95% CI: -6.63, -2.27, P<0.001) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (WMD: -4.49 mg/dl, 95% CI: -7.50 to -1.47, P=0.003) concentrations following green tea supplementation in overweight and/or obese women. In addition, a more pronounced reduction of triglyceride (TG) levels occurred when the baseline TG value was ≥150 mg/dL (WMD: -24.45 mg/dL, 95% CI: -40.63 to -8.26, P=0.003). Moreover, a significant decrease in TG concentrations occurred in RCTs conducted on overweight subjects (BMI: 25-29.99 kg/m²) (WMD: -5.88 mg/dl, 95% CI: -10.76 to -0.99, P=0.01). In the subgroup analyses based on the study population, a notable increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) values was observed in obese individuals (>30 kg/m²) (WMD: 2.63 mg/dl, 95% CI: 0.10 to 5.16, P=0.041). Consumption of green tea causes a reduction in LDL-C and TC concentrations in overweight and obese women. The decline in TG levels was notable particularly in overweight patients with hypertriglyceridemia at baseline. In addition, a significant increase in HDL-C was detected in obese subjects following intake of green tea.