Body Weight and Body Mass Index (BMI) in Preobese and Overweight Japanese Adults Treated with Black Chinese Tea Water Extract (BTE) Using a More Appropriate Statistical Analysis Method

Water-soluble black Chinese (Pu-Ehr) tea extract has been demonstrated to elicit antiobese effects in animals. We investigated the effects of black Chinese tea extract intake in 36 preobese Japanese adults in a 12-week double-blind randomized placebo-controlled group comparison study using powdered barley tea with or without black Chinese tea extract. All subjects ingested barley tea with (333 mg) or without (0 mg) black Chinese tea extract before each of three meals daily. In the black Chinese tea extract-treated group, the mean pretreatment values of body weight and body mass index significantly decreased from 8 weeks after intake (versus controls). Black Chinese tea extract intake may be useful for weight control and prevention of obesity development in humans.