We found that 16-wk EGCG treatment also significantly
decreased total percent body fat and visceral body fat weight.
The decrease in visceral body fat by EGCG was apparent in the
mesenteric, epididymal, and retroperitoneal depots, with the
largest decrease occurring in the mesenteric depot. These
decreases in body fat may be due to EGCG inhibiting lipid
absorption or increasing fat oxidation. Indeed, we found that
long-term EGCG treatment increased fecal lipids with EGCG
treatment compared with high-fat–fed control mice, supporting
the hypothesis that EGCG decreased lipid absorption.