Tea can lower cholesterol

Main Category: Cholesterol
Article Date: 24 Jun 2003 - 0:00 PDT


Green and black tea can lower human cholesterol levels, a study published yesterday shows.

The scientists say their research proves that daily extracts of the teas can reduce cholesterol by up to 16 per cent. Their study, in China, is the first to show that tea can affect cholesterol levels in humans, after previous studies on animals.

During the experiment, 240 people with high levels of cholesterol received either one tea capsule or a placebo every day for 12 weeks. Each capsule contained the equivalent of 35 cups of black tea and seven cups of green tea - in the form of 150mg of green tea extracts, 75mg of black tea extracts and 150mg of tea antioxidants known as polyphenols.

Those who took the capsules achieved an average reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol of 16 per cent.

Dr David Maron, of the Vanderbilt University Medical Centre in Nashville, Tennessee, said the findings, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, were 'very surprising'. He said he expected a slight cholesterol-lowering effect.

The author of the study recommends further studies to determine the long-term effects of its safety, dosage and compatibility with diets.

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