Background and objectives: While the health promoting effects of green tea polyphenols have been identi-fied among adult, research on children is scarce probably due to safety concerns about caffeine. This study aims to evaluate the safety of decaffeinated green tea polyphenols (DGTP) supplementation in girls with obesity and lay the foundation for its application in children population.
Methods and study design: This 12-week randomized, double-blinded, parallel-controlled trial was performed among 62 girls with obesity aged 6 to 10 years old. Participants were allocated to take 400 mg/d DGTP (DGTP group, n = 31) or isodose placebo (Control group, n = 31) at random. Anthropometric measurements and biochemical parameters including hepatic and renal function indicators, serum minerals concentrations, and routine blood parameters, were measured at baseline and the end of this trial. DGTP intake diary was required for each participant to record any abnormal reactions.
Results: After the 12-week supplementation, compared to Control group, the uric acid concentration in DGTP group showed a significant decrease (-48.0 ± 83.2 vs -0.01 ± 69.1, μmol/L), within the normal range. Regarding other biochemical indicators, there were no significant differences in changed values between the two groups. Throughout the trial, no adverse effects were reported in either group.
Conclusions: This study indicated that the supplementation of 400 mg/d DGTP for 12 weeks had no adverse health effects in girls with obesity, providing evidence for the DGTP adoption in children research.
Keywords: children; decaffeinated green tea polyphenols; obesity; randomized controlled trial; safety.