Latin Name: Camellia sinensis
Family: Theaceae
Green tea contains powerful antioxidants that can help fight cancer and aging. It has also been shown that the catechins in green tea improve signaling systems in the central nervous system and the hippocampus, improving memory and mental performance. It has also shown to be skin protective, reduce cholesterol, eliminate genital warts, and more.
RESEARCH
The listings of research below represent a compilation of scientific articles found on the species, with a very brief overview description of each article/study. Research found is catalogued by therapeutic action. This categorized compilation of research articles does not necessarily imply that there are adequate results to demonstrate safe and/or effective human use.
GENERAL
- Bechtel, J. (2012). The secret ingredient in green tea. Retrieved on 5/16/2018. Retrieved from http://blog.healthkismet.com/green-tea-health-benefits-catechins-cancer-prevention
- In a review of research, green tea may help against cancer, diabetes, obesity and metabolic disorders, liver disease, and heart disease. From: Chacko, S. M., Thambi, P. T., Kuttan, R., & Nishigaki, I. (2010). Beneficial effects of green tea: a literature review. Chinese medicine, 5(1), 13.
ANTIOXIDANT
- Grapeseed and green tree extracts were antioxidant and could be used to retard lipid oxidation in food products. From: Rababah, T. M., Hettiarachchy, N. S., & Horax, R. (2004). Total phenolics and antioxidant activities of fenugreek, green tea, black tea, grape seed, ginger, rosemary, gotu kola, and ginkgo extracts, vitamin E, and tert-butylhydroquinone. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 52(16), 5183-5186.
- Tea preparations from the following plants showed in vitro antidiabetic, antioxidant activities: green tea, peppermint, black tea, thyme, olive leaf, sage, absinthium, blackberry, and roselle. From: Büyükbalci, A., & El, S. N. (2008). Determination of in vitro antidiabetic effects, antioxidant activities and phenol contents of some herbal teas. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, 63(1), 27-33.
ANTICANCER
- In a review of human clinical trials, the author found the following herbs / constituents effective in possibly treating certain types of cancer: curcumin, green tea, resveratrol and mistletoe. More human studies are warranted. Hosseini, A., & Ghorbani, A. (2015). Cancer therapy with phytochemicals: evidence from clinical studies. Avicenna journal of phytomedicine, 5(2), 84.
- In a double blind study with 60 male volunteers with prostate cancer, a daily intake of green tea catechins was taken over one year. The catechine group had a much lower tumor diagnosis after one year than the placebo group. From: Bettuzzi, S., Brausi, M., Rizzi, F., Castagnetti, G., Peracchia, G., & Corti, A. (2006). Chemoprevention of human prostate cancer by oral administration of green tea catechins in volunteers with high-grade prostate intraepithelial neoplasia: a preliminary report from a one-year proof-of-principle study. Cancer research, 66(2), 1234-1240.
- Six grams of green tea per day limited antineoplastic activity in patients with prostate carcinoma. From: Jatoi, A., Ellison, N., Burch, P. A., Sloan, J. A., Dakhil, S. R., Novotny, P., … & Flynn, P. J. (2003). A phase II trial of green tea in the treatment of patients with androgen independent metastatic prostate carcinoma. Cancer: Interdisciplinary International Journal of the American Cancer Society, 97(6), 1442-1446.
- This case study comparing green tea drinkers to non-green tea drinkers demonstrated that drinking green tea regularly reduced the likelihood of prostate cancer. From: Jian, L., Xie, L. P., Lee, A. H., & Binns, C. W. (2004). Protective effect of green tea against prostate cancer: a case‐control study in southeast China. International journal of cancer, 108(1), 130-135.
- Green tea extracts were helpful to patients with low grade B-cell malignancies. From: Shanafelt, T. D., Lee, Y. K., Call, T. G., Nowakowski, G. S., Dingli, D., Zent, C. S., & Kay, N. E. (2006). Clinical effects of oral green tea extracts in four patients with low grade B-cell malignancies. Leukemia research, 30(6), 707-712.
GENITAL WARTS / ANTIVIRAL
- In a study of 33 patients with genital warts, a topical treatment containing 10% green tea completely eliminated the warts over a 16 week period. From: Megarity, S., McCarty, E., O’Donnell, B., & Dinsmore, W. (2017). P241 Where there’s tea, there’s hope!–experience of green tea extract for treatment of genital warts. Sex Transm Infect, 93(Suppl 1), A95-A95.
CHOLESTEROL
- In a meta review of trials, drinking green tea lowered cholesterol levels in overweight people. From: Yuan, F., Dong, H., Fang, K., Gong, J., & Lu, F. (2018). Effects of green tea on lipid metabolism in overweight or obese people: A meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials. Molecular nutrition & food research, 62(1), 1601122.
SKIN
- This article provided a review of studies showing green tea and its polyphenols showed a photoprotective and anti-aging effect on skin. From: Roh, E., Kim, J. E., Kwon, J. Y., Park, J. S., Bode, A. M., Dong, Z., & Lee, K. W. (2017). Molecular mechanisms of green tea polyphenols with protective effects against skin photoaging. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 57(8), 1631-1637.
ORAL HEALTH
- In this review of research, the author concludes: pomegranate, aloe, green tea, and miswak have a large amount of evidence supporting their effectiveness against gingivitis. From: Safiaghdam, H., Oveissi, V., Bahramsoltani, R., Farzaei, M. H., & Rahimi, R. (2018). Medicinal plants for gingivitis: a review of clinical trials. Iranian journal of basic medical sciences, 21(10), 978.
- This article reviews plants used in oral health and includes pomegranate, German chamomile, green tea, Diospyros mespiliformis, Diospyros lycioides, Salvadora persica, honey and propolis from the manuka tree, rhubarb, raisins, essential oils (thyme, cajuput, manuka, and verbena), probiotics and mushrooms. From: Chinsembu, K. C. (2016). Plants and other natural products used in the management of oral infections and improvement of oral health. Acta Tropica, 154, 6-18.
URINARY SYSTEM
- Antioxidant activity of herbs related to the urinary system was tested in vivo. Of the 55 tested herbs, 12 were equally or more effective than the already established milk thistle seed (Silybum marianum) or tea leaf (Camellia sinensis). The top herbs were Olea europaea (olive leaf), Cimicifuga racemosa (black cohosh), Rheum palmatum (rhubarb), Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice), and Scutellaria lateriflora (Virginia skullcap). From: Wojcikowski, K., Stevenson, L., Leach, D., Wohlmuth, H., & Gobe, G. (2007). Antioxidant capacity of 55 medicinal herbs traditionally used to treat the urinary system: a comparison using a sequential three-solvent extraction process. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 13(1), 103-110.
Compiled by: Kathy Sadowski
Updated: 9/13/19
