Roles for Epigallocatechin Gallate in Cardiovascular Disease and Obesity: An Introduction

After water, tea from Camellia sinensis is the most consumed beverage worldwide. Tea is rich in catechin flavonoids that possess an array of bioactivity including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, apoptotic, and probiotic mechanisms of action that may contribute to some of the putative health benefits associated with tea intake. A substantial body of evidence indicates that tea and its principal catechin, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) may contribute to a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease. Recent studies suggest EGCG may also have a positive impact on glucose tolerance and thermogenesis with implications for an effect on the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity, respectively. This introduction to a symposium on EGCG’s role in cardiovascular disease and obesity presented at the 2006 annual meeting of the American College of Nutrition provides a background on tea and tea flavonoids and their possible relationship to health promotion and disease prevention.