Green Tea

Green tea is believed to provide numerous health benefits, including lowering cholesterol and promoting weight loss. The tea contains several different polyphenols that may have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. It also contains caffeine, which could increase alertness but may also cause side effects. Although green tea is most commonly used in beverages, it is also a popular ingredient in dietary supplements.

 

What Is Green Tea?

Green tea is made from unfermented tea leaves. While most commonly used in beverages, green tea has become a popular ingredient in dietary supplements. Green tea is claimed to provide a wide variety of health benefits, including weight loss and lower cholesterol.
 
(Click Benefits of Green Tea for more information on what green tea is used for.)
 

How Does Green Tea Work?

There are numerous known active components in green tea. Green tea contains several different polyphenols. Polyphenols may have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. Green tea also contains caffeine, which is why green tea may increase alertness (but may also cause some of the side effects of green tea).
 

Is Green Tea Effective?

Green tea is clearly not the "cure-all" that it is often claimed to be. However, it may be effective for a number of different uses (see Does Green Tea Work? for more information).
 

Green Tea Dosing Information

It is difficult to recommend a universal green tea dosage, since there are so many different forms of green tea products that may contain differing amounts of the active components of green tea. Also, clear dosing recommendations for green tea have not yet been established.
 
(Click Green Tea Dosage for more information.)
 
(Green Tea Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;