In this study, green tea plus vitamin E in addition to exercise were provided to evaluate their effects on body composition, metabolic parameters, and antioxidant parameters in healthy elderly individuals. For 12 weeks, 22 elderly men and women undertook 30 minutes of moderately intense walking for 6 days per week. They were randomly assigned to ingest either green tea plus vitamin E (GTVE) or placebo. Data on anthropometrics, fasting insulin and glucose levels, physical fitness, dietary intake, safety parameters, and biomarkers of oxidation status were recorded and analyzed at the start and end of the study. The results showed that although dietary intake was unchanged, improved exercise capacity followed by a significant reduction in body weight and fasting insulin levels in all participants. Additional consumption of GTVE resulted in a twofold increase in serum vitamin E and a decrease of men’s and women’s waist circumferences and fasting glucose levels. Plasma protein carbonyls dropped, whereas erythrocyte catalase activities increased in the GTVE group only. Oral peroxidase activities were increased in both groups. The authors conclude that a daily dose of GTVE in healthy elderly men and women may improve exercise-induced benefits in body composition and glucose tolerance and may also lower oxidative burden. J Am Coll Nutr. 2013. PMID: 24015697.
