title: Long-Term Green Tea Supplementation Does Not Change the Human Gut Microbiota.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Green tea catechins may play a role in body weight regulation through interactions with the gut microbiota.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We examined whether green tea supplementation for 12 weeks induces changes in composition of the human gut microbiota.
  
  
  METHODS
  58 Caucasian men and women were included in a randomized, placebo-controlled design. For 12 weeks, subjects consumed either green tea (>0.56 g/d epigallocatechin-gallate + 0.28 ∼ 0.45 g/d caffeine) or placebo capsules. Fecal samples were collected twice (baseline, vs. week 12) for analyses of total bacterial profiles by means of IS-profiling, a 16S-23S interspacer region-based profiling method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant changes between baseline and week 12 in subjects receiving green tea or placebo capsules, and no significant interactions between treatment (green tea or placebo) and time (baseline and week 12) were observed for body composition. Analysis of the fecal samples in subjects receiving green tea and placebo showed similar bacterial diversity and community structures, indicating there were no significant changes in bacterial diversity between baseline and week 12 in subjects receiving green tea capsules or in subjects receiving placebo capsules. No significant interactions were observed between treatment (green tea or placebo) and time (baseline and week 12) for the gut microbial diversity. Although, there were no significant differences between normal weight and overweight subjects in response to green tea, we did observe a reduced bacterial alpha diversity in overweight as compared to normal weight subjects (p = 0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Green tea supplementation for 12 weeks did not have a significant effect on composition of the gut microbiota.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01556321.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Biology, School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Pilou L H R
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Janssens
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Penders
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Biology, School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Rick
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hursel
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology & Infection Control, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Andries E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Budding
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, the Netherlands.|Department of Medical Microbiology & Infection Control, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Paul H M
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Savelkoul
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Biology, School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Margriet S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Westerterp-Plantenga
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001823:Body Composition / Q000187:drug effects; D002110:Caffeine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002392:Catechin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013662:Tea / Q000737:chemistry; D044465:White People; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013662:Tea; D002110:Caffeine; D002392:Catechin; C045651:epigallocatechin gallate