Green Tea Extract Safety and Usage
Cardiovascular Benefits
- Consumption of 3-4 cups of brewed green tea daily is associated with a 5% reduction in cardiovascular mortality per cup and a 4% reduction in all-cause mortality per cup, according to the American Heart Association 1, 2, 3
- Brewed green tea is linked to a 13% decreased stroke risk and reduced myocardial infarction risk, as recommended by the American College of Cardiology 2, 3
- Associated with reduced blood pressure, approximately 2 mm Hg reduction in both systolic and diastolic, as suggested by the American Heart Association 1, 4
Perioperative Management
- The Society for Perioperative Assessment and Quality Improvement (SPAQI) recommends that green tea extract may be continued until surgery, based on beneficial effects on diastolic cardiac function 5
- Theoretical antiplatelet effects through decreased thromboxane A2 formation are outweighed by cardiovascular benefits, according to the SPAQI 5
Clinical Applications
- The American Cancer Society does not recommend green tea extract during active cancer treatment, due to lack of benefit and increased nausea and diarrhea 6
- Green tea extract is not effective for computer vision syndrome, rehydration, or lung cancer chemoprevention outside of clinical trials, as stated by the National Institutes of Health 6, 7