Alluvia® (Purple Tea Extract — Maypro)

Body fat support: mostly mouse data, one uncontrolled human study

Kenyan purple tea extract curbed diet-induced weight gain and fat build-up in mice. The only human data come from 10 mildly obese men who drank brewed purple tea leaves (1.5 g twice daily) for 4 weeks with no control group: weight went from 80.8 to 79.9 kg and fat mass from 21.8 to 21.0 kg. That was brewed tea, not Alluvia extract, so the evidence is preclinical plus one tiny uncontrolled study.

Antioxidant defense

Purple tea is rich in anthocyanins and catechins that provide antioxidant protection against oxidative stress.

Limited-evidence note

Most evidence for purple tea comes from laboratory and animal studies; human clinical data are still limited.

Lipase inhibition

Purple tea polyphenols are studied for inhibiting pancreatic lipase, which could reduce fat absorption (shown in preclinical research).

Fat-burning signaling

Purple tea is studied for supporting fat-burning pathways such as carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) in preclinical models.

Common Potential side effects

Generally well-tolerated.

Contains some caffeine; can affect sleep if taken late.

Mild digestive upset is occasionally reported.

Important Drug interactions

Stimulant medications — tea contains caffeine; use caution.

Anticoagulants — tea polyphenols may interact; monitor.

Tell your doctor if pregnant or breastfeeding.

Frequently asked questions about Alluvia® (Purple Tea Extract — Maypro)

What is Alluvia?

Alluvia® is a purple tea (Camellia sinensis) extract from Maypro, made from a special anthocyanin-rich tea variety developed in Kenya. Purple tea is studied for supporting fat metabolism and antioxidant defense, though the current evidence is mainly from laboratory and animal research.

What is Alluvia used for?

Alluvia is researched primarily for Weight Management. Kenyan purple tea extract curbed diet-induced weight gain and fat build-up in mice. The only human data come from 10 mildly obese men who drank brewed purple tea leaves (1.

What is the recommended dosage of Alluvia?

No human dose is established for the extract; apart from one small uncontrolled study of brewed purple tea (1.5 g of leaves twice daily), the cited evidence is animal and laboratory work. Always follow the product label and check with a healthcare provider for personal advice.

Is Alluvia safe, and does it have side effects?

Side effects and cautions reported for Alluvia include: Generally well-tolerated. Contains some caffeine; can affect sleep if taken late. It may also interact with some medications. Alluvia is not right for everyone, so check with a healthcare provider first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or take prescription medication.

Does Alluvia interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: Stimulant medications — tea contains caffeine; use caution. Anticoagulants — tea polyphenols may interact; monitor. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for Alluvia?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for Alluvia as Preliminary (1 out of 5). It is backed by 4 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(4 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

Lin YC, Lu HF, Chen JC, Huang HC, Chen YH, Su YS, Tung CY, Huang C Purple-leaf tea (Camellia sinensis L.) ameliorates high-fat diet induced obesity and metabolic disorder through the modulation of the gut microbiota in mice BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies. 2020;20(1):376. doi:10.1186/s12906-020-03171-4.PubMedUsed to support: Animal (mouse) study showing purple-leaf Camellia sinensis tea reduced high-fat-diet-induced obesity, insulin resistance, adipocyte hypertrophy, and hepatic steatosis via gut microbiota modulation; provides mechanistic basis for the fat-metabolism benefit claimed for Alluvia® (purple tea extract). Component-level evidence, not the Alluvia® brand specifically.
da Silva TBV, Dias MI, Pereira C, Mandim F, Ivanov M, Soković M, Ferreira ICFR, Barros L, Seixas FAV, Bracht A, Peralta RM Purple tea: chemical characterization and evaluation as inhibitor of pancreatic lipase and fat digestion in mice Food & Function. 2023;14(3):1761-1772. doi:10.1039/d2fo02442j.PubMedUsed to support: In vitro and animal (mouse) study demonstrating that Kenyan purple tea (anthocyanin-rich Camellia sinensis, same botanical source as Alluvia®) strongly inhibited pancreatic lipase (IC50 67.4 µg/mL) and reduced triglyceride digestion dose-dependently; supports the fat-metabolism-support benefit. Evidence is preclinical, not a human trial of the Alluvia® brand.
Gao X, Ho CT, Li X, Lin X, Zhang Y, Chen Z, Li B Phytochemicals, Anti-Inflammatory, Antiproliferative, and Methylglyoxal Trapping Properties of Zijuan Tea Journal of Food Science. 2018;83(2):517-524. doi:10.1111/1750-3841.14029.PubMedUsed to support: In vitro study on Zijuan tea (anthocyanin-rich Camellia sinensis cultivar, same genus as Alluvia® purple tea), demonstrating antioxidant polyphenol content and inhibition of nitric oxide, TNF-α, and IL-6 in macrophages; supports the antioxidant-defense benefit attributed to purple tea anthocyanins. Evidence is in vitro only, not a human trial of the Alluvia® brand.
Shimoda H, Hitoe S, Nakamura S, Matsuda H Purple Tea and Its Extract Suppress Diet-induced Fat Accumulation in Mice and Human Subjects by Inhibiting Fat Absorption and Enhancing Hepatic Carnitine Palmitoyltransferase Expression. Int J Biomed Sci. 2015;11(2):67-75..PubMedUsed to support: Purple tea extract (Kenyan TRFK306) suppressed diet-induced body weight gain, abdominal fat and triglycerides in mice. In a 4-week human arm, 10 mildly obese men drank tea brewed from 1.5 g of dried purple tea leaves twice daily with no control group. Compared with their own baseline, weight went from 80.8 to 79.9 kg, BMI from 27.0 to 26.8 and fat mass from 21.8 to 21.0 kg. Brewed tea, not the Alluvia extract; authors from Oryza Oil & Fat Chemical Co. Backs the body fat benefit as weak, uncontrolled data.

Alluvia® (Purple Tea Extract — Maypro)

Benefits

Body fat support: mostly mouse data, one uncontrolled human study

Antioxidant defense

Limited-evidence note

Mechanism of action

Lipase inhibition

Fat-burning signaling

Clinical trials

Side effects and drug interactions

Common Potential side effects

Important Drug interactions

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Frequently asked questions about Alluvia® (Purple Tea Extract — Maypro)