Remedy · herb & leaf
Green tea: what the evidence says about cholesterol, blood pressure and weight
As a drink, green tea is safe for most adults and may nudge cholesterol and blood pressure down a little. Extract pills are a different matter.
By the editors of Alimentotherapy Last reviewed 4 min read Not medical advice
Green tea
Camellia sinensis
Best-supported use: LDL cholesterol
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The short answer
The evidence for green tea is real but small: meta-analyses found slight falls in LDL cholesterol and blood pressure, while a more cautious analysis of tea trials found no significant change, and a Cochrane review found no meaningful weight loss outside a group of Japanese studies Zheng 2011; Igho 2020; Jurgens 2012. As a beverage it has no reported safety concerns in adults, but concentrated extracts have been linked to liver injury and green tea sharply lowers blood levels of the beta-blocker nadolol NCCIH; Misaka 2014.
The evidence, use by use
Each claim graded on human studies only. How we grade
| Use | Grade | What the research found |
|---|---|---|
| LDL and total cholesterol | Limited | A meta-analysis of 14 trials (1,136 people) found green tea or its extract lowered total cholesterol by 7.2 mg/dL and LDL by 2.2 mg/dL. Most trials tested extracts rather than the drink, and a later analysis of tea beverages found no significant effect. Zheng 2011; NCCIH; Igho 2020 |
| Blood pressure | Limited | Pooling 13 trials (1,367 people), green tea lowered systolic and diastolic pressure by about 2 mmHg. A 2020 analysis of short tea-drinking trials (4 to 24 weeks) found no significant effect. Peng 2014; Igho 2020 |
| Weight loss | Not supported | A Cochrane review found green tea preparations made no meaningful difference to weight in six trials outside Japan (an average difference of 0.04 kg); Japanese trials were too varied to pool. Jurgens 2012 |
The drink and the extract are different
Green tea is the unfermented leaf of the tea plant, steamed or pan-fired soon after picking. Its main active compounds are catechins, especially one called EGCG, plus caffeine.
NCCIH notes that most cholesterol trials tested green tea extract supplements rather than tea as a beverageNCCIH. Extracts pack the catechins of many cups into a capsule, which is why the safety picture changes: no safety concerns have been reported for green tea consumed as a beverage by adults, while extract supplements have caused nausea, raised blood pressure and, uncommonly, liver injuryNCCIH.
Extract pills and your liver
Liver injury has been reported in some people taking green tea extracts in tablet or capsule form. NCCIH says people with a specific variant of an immune gene, carried by an estimated 5 to 15 percent of Americans, appear especially susceptible NCCIH. Stop and see a clinician if you develop dark urine, yellow skin or eyes, or pain under the right ribs.
How to brew and drink it
Steep the leaves in water just off the boil for a few minutes; very hot water and long steeping make it bitter. Drinking it with or after meals is gentler on the stomach. Because it contains caffeine, keep it to earlier in the day if caffeine affects your sleep.
Loose-leaf and bagged green teas are in most supermarkets. If you want a wider choice of single-origin or decaffeinated teas, iHerb stocks a broad range.
Green tea and medicines
The clearest interaction is with nadolol, a beta-blocker. In healthy volunteers who drank 700 mL of green tea a day for two weeks, blood levels of nadolol fell by about 85 percent, and its effect on blood pressure was reduced Misaka 2014. NCCIH also lists reduced blood levels of atorvastatin with green tea extract and an interaction with raloxifene NCCIH.
If you take nadolol or another regular medicine, ask your prescriber or pharmacist before drinking green tea in large amounts or taking an extract. See the interactions checker for the green tea and nadolol entry.
Before you try it: safety and interactions
Who should avoid it or ask first
- You take nadolol: green tea sharply lowered its blood levels in a controlled study.
- You take atorvastatin, raloxifene or other regular medicines and are considering extracts: ask your prescriber.
- You have liver disease, or have had liver problems with supplements before: avoid extracts.
Possible side effects
- Caffeine effects: jitteriness, poor sleep, a faster heartbeat in sensitive people.
- Extract supplements: nausea, constipation, stomach discomfort and raised blood pressure.
- Rare liver injury, mostly with extract tablets or capsules.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Green tea contains caffeine, and NCCIH advises keeping caffeine to moderate levels in pregnancy; ask your provider how much is right for you. Extracts have not been shown to be safe in pregnancy. NCCIH; Misaka 2014
Medicine interactions
Check another food or medicine in the interactions list.
Common questions
Does green tea lower cholesterol?
Slightly, according to some trials. A 2011 meta-analysis of 14 trials found green tea or its extract lowered LDL cholesterol by about 2 mg/dL, but most trials used extracts, and a 2020 analysis of tea-drinking trials found no significant effect on cholesterol or blood pressure.
Does green tea help you lose weight?
Not in a meaningful way. A Cochrane review found green tea preparations changed weight by an average of 0.04 kg in six trials outside Japan, which is no real difference. Japanese trials showed more variable results that could not be pooled.
Is green tea extract safe?
Green tea as a drink has no reported safety concerns for adults, but extract tablets and capsules have been linked to liver injury in some people, according to NCCIH. Avoid extracts if you have liver problems, and stop and see a clinician if you notice dark urine or yellowing skin.
Sources
Primary research and government sources, each checked on the date this page was reviewed.
- NCCIHNational Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Green Tea: Usefulness and Safety.
- PubMedZheng XX, et al. Green tea intake lowers fasting serum total and LDL cholesterol in adults: a meta-analysis of 14 randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011. PMID 21715508.
- PubMedPeng X, et al. Effect of green tea consumption on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials. Sci Rep. 2014. PMID 25176280.
- PubMedIgho-Osagie E, et al. Short-term tea consumption is not associated with a reduction in blood lipids or pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Nutr. 2020. PMID 33188386.
- CochraneJurgens TM, et al. Green tea for weight loss and weight maintenance in overweight or obese adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012. PMID 23235664.
- PubMedMisaka S, et al. Green tea ingestion greatly reduces plasma concentrations of nadolol in healthy subjects. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2014. PMID 24419562.
Keep reading
- GoalFood for a healthy heart: blood pressure and cholesterolEating patterns have the strongest heart evidence: DASH for blood pressure, Mediterranean for heart events, and soluble fiber from oats, barley or psyllium for cholesterol.
- ToolFood and drug interactionsCheck a remedy or food against common medicines.
- Kitchen practiceHerbal infusionsSteeping a leaf or simmering a root is the oldest way to take a plant. Most common kitchen herbs are safe as tea; a few are not, and the label on the box tells you less than you might think.
- RemedyChamomileA traditional bedtime tea with small, inconsistent trials behind it. It may nudge sleep quality; it has not been shown to help insomnia.