Green tea, used in China for more than 4,000 years and more recently throughout the world, is a mild, enjoyable beverage with many health benefits. Rich in natural antioxidants and other health-boosting phytochemicals, green tea has earned a distinguished position in the realm of natural remedies for lowering cholesterol. Regular consumption of green tea may improve your cholesterol test results in a variety of ways.
Catechins
Catechin compounds in green tea improve cholesterol test results by altering genes that influence cholesterol metabolism in the liver, according to researchers of a tissue culture study of human liver cells published in the August 2011 issue of the "British Journal of Nutrition." Among the genes affected in the study were those that code for the production of receptors for low-density lipoprotein, or LDL -- the "bad" form of cholesterol. LDL receptors help cells absorb LDL cholesterol, lowering its levels in the bloodstream. Green tea catechins increased production of the receptors and also decreased levels of apolipoprotein B, the protein structural backbone of LDL molecules.
LDL Cholesterol
A study published in the August 2011 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found that green tea improved cholesterol test results by decreasing total and LDL cholesterol levels. The review of previously published research included 14 studies and 1,136 participants. Overall, green tea consumption lowered total cholesterol by 7.2 mg per deciliter and LDL cholesterol by 2.19 mg per deciliter. Changes in high-density lipoprotein or HDL -- the "good" form of cholesterol -- were insignificant.
Theaflavin
Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, reported the findings of a study that found green tea extract enriched with extra theaflavin, a polyphenol antioxidant in green tea, decreased LDL levels. In the 12-week study, participants took 375 mg of the green tea supplement per day for 12 weeks. Results showed 11 percent decline in total cholesterol, 16 percent drop in LDL cholesterol, 2.3 percent increase in HDL cholesterol and 2.6 percent increase in triglycerides. Researchers concluded that green tea, in combination with a diet low in saturated fats, is a safe and effective strategy for decreasing LDL cholesterol levels and improving cholesterol test results. The study appeared in the June 2003 issue of the journal "Archives of Internal Medicine."
Nanoemulsification
Green tea extract prepared by a process called nanoemulsification improves green tea's cholesterol-lowering effects, according to a study published in the March 2011 issue of the "Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry." Nanoemulsification improves the absorbability of nutrients by suspending them in tiny particles. In the four-week study on laboratory animals, the cholesterol-lowering ability of the nanoemulsified green tea extract considerably outpaced that of regular green tea extract. The extracts were equally effective at decreasing production of an enzyme that converts cholesterol into bile.
References
- "British Journal of Nutrition"; Epigallocatechin Gallate Changes MRNA Expression Level of Genes Involved in Cholesterol Metabolism in Hepatocytes; T. Goto, et al.; August 2011
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Green Tea Intake Lowers Fasting Serum Total and LDL Cholesterol in Adults: a Meta-analysis of 14 Randomized Controlled Trials; X. Zheng, et al.; August 2011
- "Archives of Internal Medicine"; Cholesterol-Lowering Effect of a Theaflavin-enriched Green Tea Extract: a Randomized Controlled Trial; D. Maron, et al.; June 2003
- "Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry"; Nanoemulsified Green Tea Extract Shows Improved Hypocholesterolemic Effects in C57bl/6 Mice; Y. Kim, et al.; March 2011
- "Green Tea -- Its Hidden Benefits"; William E. Muirhead; 2008
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