title: Does supplementation with green tea extract improve acne in post-adolescent women? A randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled clinical trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Green tea is believed to have beneficial effects in the prevention and treatment of acne.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effects of a decaffeinated green tea extract (GTE), providing a daily dose of 856 mg of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) upon women with post-adolescent acne.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted from May 2012 through October 2013. A final group of 80 subjects were randomly assigned to receive either 1500 mg of decaffeinated GTE or placebo (cellulose) daily for 4 weeks. Inflammatory lesion counts were used as the major outcome measurement. At baseline and after 4 weeks of treatment, anthropometric measurements, fasting glucose levels and a lipid profile were measured from both groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-four of 80 women, from 25 to 45 years of age with moderate-to-severe acne completed the study. Statistically significant differences were noted in inflammatory lesion counts distributed on the nose, periorally and on the chin between the two groups. However, there were no significant differences between groups for total lesion counts. Within-group comparison revealed that the GTE group had significant reductions in inflammatory lesions distributed on the forehead and cheek, and significant reductions in total lesion counts. GTE resulted in significant reductions in total cholesterol levels within the GTE group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GTE resulted in significant reductions in lesions located on the nose, perioral area and chin. More research is required to determine whether a decaffeinated GTE standardized for EGCG content will provide clinical benefits in women with post-adolescent acne.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Traditional Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan; Department of Dermatology, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taiwan.
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Traditional Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan; Branch of Linsen and Chinese Medicine, Taipei City Hospital, Taiwan. Electronic address: owlherbs@yahoo.com.tw.
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hsu
mesh_terms: D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000328:Adult; D002392:Catechin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010919:Placebos; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013662:Tea / Q000737:chemistry*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013662:Tea; D002392:Catechin; C045651:epigallocatechin gallate
keywords: Acne vulgaris; Epigallocatechin-3-gallate; Green tea extract; Post-adolescent