Green tea has been used for thousands of years in India, Japan and China to treat wounds, improve heart health and regulate blood sugar. It also helps decrease free radical production, which has been associated with illness and disease, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. Green tea shows promise in protecting your kidneys in animal studies; however, research on humans is still needed to confirm it efficacy.
Antioxidants
Most of green tea's effects are due to its high amount of antioxidants called polyphenols. The main polyphenolic compound found in green tea is catechins, which might improve kidney function by reducing inflammation markers that normally would impair kidney function, notes the UMMC.
Antibiotics
Although antibiotics are effective against infections, a few of them might be toxic to kidney cells in a condition known as nephrotoxicity. Green tea might reduce the risk of nephrotoxicity, according to a study conducted at Zagazing University in Egypt. Researchers investigated the effects of green tea extract on rats injected with gentamicin, an antibiotic that impairs kidney function. The study indicates that green tea extract reduces the nephrotoxicity and oxidative damage caused by gentamicin by decreasing inflammation and improving antioxidant defense and kidney tissue integrity. The findings were reported in the 2010 issue of "Renal Failure."
Kidney Cancer
One of the main green tea catechins is epigallocatechin-3-gallate, or EGCG, which might protect against kidney cancer, according to a study performed at Mansoura University in Egypt. Researchers observed that mice with kidney tumors consuming 20 to 40 mg per kilogram of body weight experienced decreases in tumor size and lowered levels of C-reactive protein and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, both pro-inflammatory substances. These findings were published in the December 2010 issue of "Phytomedicine."
Interactions
Several medications, including blood-thinning medications, adenosine and beta-blockers, may interfere with green tea, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Consult your health care provider before consuming green tea.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Green Tea; 2011
- "Renal Failure"; Amelioration of Gentamicin Nephrotoxicity by Green Tea Extract in Uninephrectomized Rats As a Model of Progressive Renal Failure; E.A. Salem et al.; 2010
- "Phytomedicine"; Novel Chemotherapeutic and Renal Protective Effects for the Green Tea (EGCG): Role of Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Cytokine Signaling; A.M. El Mowafy et al., December 2010
