May 8/Pharma Marketletter -- The potential anti-obesity effects of white tea have been demonstrated in a series of experiments on human adipocytes conducted by German scientists. Data published in the open-access journal Nutrition and Metabolism have shown that an extract of the herbal brew effectively inhibits the generation of new adipocytes and stimulates fat mobilization from mature fat cells.

Marc Winnefeld led a team from Beiersdorf AG, Germany, which studied the biological effects of an extract of white tea, the least processed version of the tea plant Camellia sinensis. "We've shown that white tea may be an ideal natural source of slimming substances," he said.

After treating lab-cultured human pre-adipocytes with the tea extract, the authors found that fat incorporation during the genesis of new adipocytes was reduced. According to Winnefeld, "the extract solution induced a decrease in the expression of genes associated with the growth of new fat cells, while also prompting existing adipocytes to break down the fat they contain."

From the May 11, 2009, Prepared Foods E-dition