By David Liu PHD

Thursday April 26, 2012 (foodconsumer.org) -- Many people already know that there is an antiobesity medication called orlistat.  This medication, indicated to treat obesity, prevents weight gain by interfering with fat absorption.  It works if you also follow a complementary exercise program.

A new study recently released in the journal Food Chemistry found evidence suggesting that dietary phenolic compounds such as those found in green tea and grape were more effective than the drug in inhibiting a lipase, which catalyzes lipolysis and makes it easy for the body to absorb fat.  Too much fat absorption leads to the development of obesity.

In the study, Thérèse Sergent of Institut des Sciences de la Vie & UCLouvain, Croix du Sud, 4-5, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium and colleagues tested phenolics and plant extracts and found Epigallocatechin-3-gallate, kaempferol and quercetin could significantly inhibit the activity of the pancreatic lipase (PL).

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate or EGCG is found in green tea.  EGCG is the strongest PL inhibitor, compared to kaempferol and quercetin.

Kaempferol is found in tea, broccoli, Delphinium, Witch-hazel, grapefruit, cabbage, kale, beans, endive, leek, tomato, strawberries, grapes, brussels sprouts, apples and other plant sources, according to wikipedia.

Quercetin is a flavonoid found in black and green tea, capers, lovage, apples, onion, particularly red onion, red grapes, citrus fruit, tomato, broccoli and other leafy green vegetables and berries such as raspberry, bog whortleberry, lingonberry, cranberry, chokeberry, sweet rowan, rowanberry, sea buckthorn, crowberry, and the fruit of the prickly pear cactus.  

Quercetin has been already known to help fight viral infections, cancer, inflammation, fibromyalgia, and metabolic syndrome among other things.

From the current study, the researchers also found that plant extracts from green tea and grape seed poccess an inhibitory effect against pancreatic lipase.

In a model study in which intestinal fat digestion was simulated to test the effect of phenolics on the activity of a lipase, it was found that resveratrol, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, and quercetin reduced the triolein digestion by up to 50%.

The researchers said "EGCG, quercetin and kaempferol were more potent than the anti-obesity drug orlistat."

They concluded "This work therefore suggests that some PCs, at concentrations easily reached in the intestine following ingestion of tea beverages, fruits or vegetables, but also flavonoid-enriched supplements or functional food, are potential candidates for obesity prevention."

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate, kaempferol and quercetin are available as dietary supplements.

The obesity rate is on the rise in the United States.  This condition can result in serious health conditions such as diabetes and cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Many diets are available to help obese people to lose weight.  Some have a short term effect, but soon the lost weight comes back.

Green tea has already been known to prevent obesity or weight gain by inhibiting lipases that help fat absorption.  Green tea is also known to fight cancer because it promotes apoptosis which is a cellular process missing in cancer cells.

Keywords Lipid Digestion; Obesity; Pancreatic Lipase; Polyphenols; Resveratrol