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Effect of regular green tea (Camellia sinensis) kombucha consumption on oxidative stress and endothelial health in individuals with excess body weight: a randomized controlled trial

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2025

Dandara Baia Bonifácio Open the ORCID record for Dandara Baia Bonifácio [Opens in a new window] ,
Gabriela Macedo Fraiz ,
Udielle Vermelho Lacerda ,
Rodrigo Rezende Cardoso ,
Ana Claudia Pelissari Kravchychyn ,
Viviana Corich ,
Alessio Giacomini ,
Frederico Augusto Ribeiro de Barros Open the ORCID record for Frederico Augusto Ribeiro de Barros [Opens in a new window]  and
Josefina Bressan
Dandara Baia Bonifácio
Affiliation:
Department of Nutrition and Health, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, Brazil
Gabriela Macedo Fraiz
Affiliation:
Department of Nutrition and Health, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, Brazil Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology, Centre for Nutrition Research, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
Udielle Vermelho Lacerda
Affiliation:
Department of Food and Technology, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, Brazil
Rodrigo Rezende Cardoso
Affiliation:
Department of Food and Technology, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, Brazil
Ana Claudia Pelissari Kravchychyn
Affiliation:
Department of Nutrition and Health, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, Brazil
Viviana Corich
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy, Food Natural Resources, and Environment (DAFNAE), Università degli Studi di Padova, 35020 Legnaro, Italy
Alessio Giacomini
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy, Food Natural Resources, and Environment (DAFNAE), Università degli Studi di Padova, 35020 Legnaro, Italy
Frederico Augusto Ribeiro de Barros
Affiliation:
Department of Food and Technology, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, Brazil
Josefina Bressan*
Affiliation:
Department of Nutrition and Health, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, Brazil
*
Corresponding author: Josefina Bressan; Email: jbrm@ufv.br
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Abstract

Kombucha is a fermented beverage rich in bioactive compounds. This beverage has demonstrated high antioxidant capacity in vitro and experimental animal studies. In this sense, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of daily consumption of green tea kombucha on oxidative stress and endothelial health in individuals with excess body weight. This is a randomized controlled clinical trial, lasting 10 weeks, during which the control group followed a healthy −500 kcal/d energy-restricted diet. In contrast, the kombucha group, in addition to the energy-restricted diet, consumed 200 ml of kombucha green tea daily. This study included men and women aged 18–45 years without chronic diseases. At the beginning and end of the study, fasting blood was collected, and colorimetric assays and immunoassay protocols evaluated markers of oxidative stress and endothelial health. Compared to the control group, kombucha consumption significantly reduced hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels (P = 0·007). Initial and final values were as follows: Control group (16·5 v. 15·09 µmol/ml; n 29) and Kombucha group (18·14 v. 14·67 µmol/ml; n 30). The other markers that were evaluated did not change after the kombucha consumption. In conclusion, daily consumption of 200 ml of green tea kombucha for 10 weeks reduces one pro-oxidant marker, without altering other markers of oxidative stress and endothelial health in individuals with excess body weight. Reducing a pro-oxidant marker suggests that kombucha is an antioxidant beverage with promising implications for human health. However, further studies are needed to elucidate other possible beneficial effects on health.

Keywords

Fermented beveragesHydrogen peroxideAtherosclerosisObesity

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Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , First View , pp. 1 - 9
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Nutrition Society

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