Sunday June 30, 2013 (foodconsumer.org) -- A new study released in Diabetes Metabolism Journal suggests that taking a green tea extract (GTE) and poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) complex helps prevent obesity.

K.C. Bae from Keimyung University School of Medicine in Daegu, Korea and colleagues conducted the study and found diabetic mice fed a green tea extract and γ-PGA complex were less likely to gain weight.

Obesity is known to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Obesity induces insulin resistance causing β-cell dysfunction and type 2 diabetes mellitus, according to the authors.   Green tea is known to prevent obesity.

For the study, the db/db mice and age-matched nondiabetic mice were fed normal chow diet supplemented with green tea extract (1%), γ-PGA (0.1%), or green tea extract plus γ-PGA (1%:0.1%) for four weeks.

In nondiabetic mice, none of the treatments showed any effects at four weeks.  However, in db/db mice, diet supplemented with green tea extract and γ-PGA reduced weight gain and body fat gain, compared with control diet.  The study group of mice also had better glucose intolerance improved.

Additionally, GTE+γ-PGA-treated db/db mice were found to have a significantly reduced incidence of fatty liver and decreased pancreatic islet size. The effect was only significant when mice were treated with green tea extract and γ-PGA together.