According to Japanese researchers from Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, taking a supplement of the green tea compound EGCG may help offset the signs of physical and mental fatigue associated with a stressful lifestyle.
Compounds in green tea may help combat the effects of fatigue and stress.
In their animal model, taking the tea compound for five days reduced levels of oxidised species related to fatigue.
"Acute fatigue is a normal phenomenon that disappears after a period of rest. In contrast, the effects of accumulated fatigue are sometimes irreversible, and the compensation mechanisms that are useful in reducing acute fatigue are no longer effective," said lead author Masaaki Tanaka.
Green tea and its extracts have been growing in popularity among consumers and researchers alike, as studies show protective effects against Alzheimer’s and certain cancers, as well as improvements in heart and oral. Other research points to a positive role in weight management.
Tanaka and co-researchers found that rats subjected to stress, who were also given EGCG from green tea, performed better on tests of fatigue than those not given the extract. They also found lower levels of stress markers in those given ECGC.
"We demonstrated that oral administration of EGCG…improved performance in an animal model of combined fatigue; this effect may be mediated by its antioxidant properties in the liver," they concluded.
Source: Nutrition. 2008 Jun;24(6):599-603
