BEIJING, May 1 (UPI) -- A study funded by a German health food company suggests Chinese white tea may fight obesity by reducing fat cells.
The study by Beiersdorf AG, published in the journal Nutrition and Metabolism, said extracts of white tea reduced fat levels on laboratory-grown human fat cells, The Daily Telegraph reported Friday.
Nutritionist Marc Winnefeld said the white tea extract induced a decrease in the expression of genes associated with the growth of new fat cells and prompted existing adipocytes to break down the fat they contain, the British newspaper reported.
White tea is named for the white downy fur that covers the unopened bud of the tea leaf. During manufacturing, the buds are lightly steamed instead of being rolled and fermented, the report said.
