How to Lower Cholesterol by Drinking Tea

Overview

Teas comes in three major types: green, oolong and black tea. The difference among them is the amount of fermentation time allowed. Green tea has little time for fermentation--it is steamed or heated immediately to create the tea. Oolong tea is produced after 30 minutes of fermentation, and black tea takes between 60 to 90 minutes to ferment. This fermentation period is important because the longer the tea leaves ferment, the more time there is for oxidation. Longer fermentation also lessens the amount of the chemical catechin, which has been shown to lower cholesterol levels. Catechins reduce cholesterol levels in two ways. First, they promote the removal of LDL in the liver by increasing the number of binding sites for LDL. Second, they inhibit the absorption and re-absorption of cholesterol in the intestines.

Step 1

Find a tea that you enjoy. With hundreds of brands and flavors available, it's important to find a flavor and brand that tastes good to you because you will have to drink it regularly.

Step 2

Drink green tea. Drinking any kind of tea has the healthful benefits of catechins, but green tea has the highest concentration. One study used the equivalent of 35 cups of black tea for a total of 75mg of extracts vs. seven cups of green tea for 150mg of extracts.

Step 3

Drink tea every day. Studies at the moment are inconclusive as to how often and for how long tea needs to be consumed in order to see the health benefits. Every study involved consuming either tea or a tea supplement every day. The average drop in cholesterol was between 7 percent and 11 percent and went as high as 16 percent, with results coming in as few as three weeks.