Cholesterol, High Cholesterol

Green tea and hyperlipidemia:

Green tea is rich in the class of antioxidant polyphenol compounds known as catechins. Green tea has numerous health benefits cited in research. Green tea has been consumed for centuries by Asian countries and has been cited as generally safe, but adverse reports of the use of green tea has been reported. Green tea has been quoted by multiple sources to contain a range of 120 to 160 mg of catechins per cup and an average of 23 mg of caffeine per cup (range of 11-48mg) but with high variability. Preventive Health Advisor recommends that liver function tests be obtained for green tea consumption of 4 cups per day or greater at baseline, after 3 months, at 6 months, and then at the physician’s discretion due to high a variability in green tea catechin content. Green tea extract is not recommended due to increased risk of hepatotoxicity with a higher concentration of catechins which it provides. Patients should be advised to avoid drugs metabolized by the liver such as acetaminophen.