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.

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 higher than the placebo group.

The researchers commented on the results,

“Among the bioactive green tea catechins, epigallocatechin gallate (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.”

Perhaps a daily cup 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.”

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