Green Tea Prepared by Daily Infusion Protects Against Fatty Liver Disease
Mr. ORITA Tsukasa, a second-year doctoral student at the United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, has had his research accepted for publication in the peer-reviewed international journal Food & Function (Impact Factor: 5.4) in September 2025.
In this study, the authors investigated the preventive effects of green tea extract (GTE), prepared by the traditional daily infusion method, on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) using a mouse model fed a Western-style diet high in fat, cholesterol, and refined sugar. GTE supplementation (0.5% or 1%) significantly reduced serum liver enzymes (AST, ALT) and hepatic triglyceride accumulation while promoting triglyceride excretion in feces. Further analyses revealed that catechins—particularly (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG)—strongly inhibited pancreatic lipase activity and enhanced hepatic fatty acid oxidation by upregulating carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1). Additionally, 16S rRNA analysis showed that GTE improved gut microbiota balance by decreasing the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio disrupted by the Western diet. These findings indicate that daily consumption of green tea prepared by the traditional infusion method may help prevent NAFLD through combined effects on lipid absorption, hepatic metabolism, and gut microbiota modulation.
Publication Information
Title: Green tea prepared via the daily infusion method prevents non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by targeting intestinal lipid absorption, hepatic lipid metabolism and gut microbiota composition
Authors: Tsukasa Orita, Satoshi Chogahara, Kozue Sakao, Qian Lin, Daichi Ijiri, De-Xing Hou
Journal: Food & Function (IF 5.4)
