A new study indicates that edible microspheres, composed of green tea polyphenols, vitamin E, and algae, can bind to fats in the intestine and prevent their absorption. Research conducted on rats fed a high-fat diet showed that the treatment helped them lose weight. The findings were presented at a conference of the American Chemical Society by a team from China’s Sichuan University, led by Yue Wu.
Following the positive results in rodents, researchers have now initiated human trials in collaboration with the West China Hospital of Sichuan University. According to one researcher, “Our microspheres act directly in the intestine to block fat absorption in a non-invasive and gentle manner.” The primary goal of the research is to intervene in the fat absorption process without negative side effects.
The tiny plant-based spheres were developed to form spontaneously through chemical bonds between green tea polyphenols and vitamin E. These components can, in turn, form chemical bonds with fat droplets. The spheres were then coated with a natural polymer derived from algae to protect them from the stomach’s acidic environment. Once ingested, the protective coating expands in response to the acidic pH, allowing the green tea polyphenols and vitamin E compounds to bind and trap partially digested fats in the intestine.
The virtually tasteless microspheres were tested over 30 days on three groups of rats. One group was fed a 60% fat diet supplemented with the microspheres, a second group received a high-fat diet without them, and a third was given a normal diet with 10% fat. The rats on the high-fat diet with the microspheres lost 17% of their body weight, showed reduced adipose tissue, and had less liver damage. None of these effects were observed in the other two groups.