Regular Intake of Green Tea Lowers 'Bad' Cholesterol Levels

A new study has revealed the major health benefits of consuming green tea regularly. The study adds that regular intake of green tea not only cut levels of "bad" cholesterol, but it leaves "good" cholesterol unchanged, reports the Daily Express. Xin-Xin Zheng and colleagues from Peking Union Medical College in Beijing said the study "showed the administration of green tea beverages or extracts resulted in significant reductions in serum total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentrations, but no effect on HDL cholesterol was observed".

The researchers analysed the results of 14 random trials in which participants drank green tea or took an extract of green tea for periods ranging from three weeks to three months, or were assigned to a placebo group.

On average, green tea was shown to reduce total cholesterol by 7.2 milligrams per decilitre compared with levels seen in those taking the placebo.

LDL cholesterol fell by an average of 2.2 mg/dl, or slightly less than 2 per cent.

The researchers said the cholesterol-lowering effects of green tea might be due to catechins, which decrease the absorption of cholesterol.

The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

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Source-ANI