The increase in obesity associated with high fat diets promotes the search for nutritional strategies that help prevent its effects. In this context, a study published in Frontiers in Nutrition analyzed how matcha green tea influences metabolic processes related to this condition.
The work focused on understanding how this drink acts on the so-called gut-liver axisa communication system between the intestinal microbiota and the liver that regulates key functions of metabolism.
Matcha is a type of powdered green tea obtained from the plant Camellia sinensis. Unlike traditional tea, it allows you to consume both the soluble and insoluble components of the leaf, which increases its content of compounds such as polyphenols, amino acids and caffeine.
To study its effects, the researchers worked with mice fed for eight weeks with different diets: one normal, another high in fat, and versions of both supplemented with 1% matcha.
The results showed that animals on a high-fat diet that received matcha had less development of obesity. They also recorded less lipid accumulation and a reduction in hepatic steatosis, which corresponds to the accumulation of fat in the liver.
The study describes that these changes are associated with modifications in the intestine. It restored alterations in the composition of the intestinal microbiota, that is, the set of microorganisms that inhabit the digestive system.
Furthermore, changes were observed in the profile of the bile acidscompounds produced by the liver that help digest fats and also participate in the regulation of metabolism.
The research also looked at gene expression in the liver. The results indicate that matcha consumption influenced multiple metabolic pathways related to the management of glucose, lipids and bile acids.
Taken together, the data show that the effect is not limited to a single organ. Its action occurs through the interaction between the intestine and the liver, where changes in intestinal bacteria and metabolites are linked to the regulation of the body’s metabolism.
The study, when carried out in an animal model, allows biological processes to be observed in a controlled manner. Their results describe the mechanisms associated with matcha consumption in this experimental context.
