Why you can trust Nutri Advanced Every article on our site is researched thoroughly by our team of highly qualified nutritionists. Find out more about our editorial process.

Green tea is probably best known for its supercharged antioxidant content and possible fat burning benefits. Now a new study has found that green tea extract may help to reduce cholesterol too.

Green tea for cholesterol

Researchers from the University of Minnesota, University of Pittsburgh and the University of Southern California carried out the randomized controlled trial on 1,075 post-menopausal women randomly assigned to receive placebo or green tea extract supplement for 12 months.

They found the green tea extract was associated with a 2.1% reduction in total cholesterol and a 4.1% reduction in LDL cholesterol – significantly better than the placebo group.

Which green tea is best for cholesterol

This study observed supplementation with an extract of green tea that is high in epigallocatechin gallate (ECGC) to see if it had an effect on blood lipids in post-menopausal women over a 12 month period.

The researchers commented on the results,

“Among the bioactive green tea catechins, (EGCG) is of great interest because it is the most abundant and purported to be the main bioactive catechin responsible for the hypolipidemic effects of green tea. The exact mechanisms by which EGCG exert their lipid-lowering effects remain largely unknown. The hypothesized mechanisms are through the suppression of cholesterol biosynthesis, the interference of lipid absorption and the increase in fecal excretion of cholesterol.”

How much green tea should you drink for cholesterol

In this study they used a daily supplement containing 843mg of ECGC for a period of 12 months. One cup of green tea can contain between 100-300mg of ECGC so perhaps switching your a daily cuppas to of green tea is just what the doctor ordered.

References:
Samavat H et al. Effects of green tea catechin extract on serum lipids in postmenopausal women: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.”

Nutri Advanced has a thorough research process and for any references included, each source is scrutinised beforehand. We aim to use the highest value source where possible, referencing peer-reviewed journals and official guidelines in the first instance before alternatives. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate at time of publication on our editorial policy.

This website and its content are copright of Nutri Advanced©. All rights reserved. See our terms and conditions for more detail.