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We focus on preventative medicine at Matthews Internal Medicine. What can we do to help our patients live healthier lives and avoid some of the most debilitating ailments around? It pays to take some simple steps now instead of dealing with a terrible disease later on in life.

One area we specialize in is heart disease prevention. One of the keys to preventing heart disease is incorporating certain healthy foods and beverages into your diet. One item we get questions about is green tea. This beverage is generally thought of as a healthy way to get that daily dose of caffeine. Could it help with cardiovascular health as well? According to some recent studies, green tea could have some benefits for anyone who’s concerned about heart disease prevention.

The Studies

One big study focused on more than 40,000 Japanese adults. Some of the participants in the study drank more than five cups of green tea per day. This lowered risk of death from heart attack or stroke by twenty-six percent. It also made these participants healthier all-around, with a sixteen percent lower risk of death from any other causes.

There has also been in-depth analysis of multiple observational studies in an effort to find a link between green tea and heart health. One analysis focus on thirteen different studies of green tea drinkers and found that the participants who drank the most green tea saw their risk of coronary artery disease fall by twenty-eight percent. Similar studies of black tea drinkers didn’t show the same type of health benefits. Some other studies have also shown that a compound found in green tea could help break down the plaque that clogs arteries.

How Does it Help

Green tea helps with heart disease prevention by lowering LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels. This is thanks to the catechins present in green tea. Some of the above studies actually gave participants capsules that contain that active ingredient, instead of making them green tea, but the end result is the same. Drinking this beverage could help if you’re concerned about cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Side Effects?

The same ingredients that help you fight back against heart disease could also have some side effects to look out for. None of the studies so far have identified serious issues, but catechins have been known to raise liver enzymes in animals. It’s also true that drinking more than five cups of green tea per day, as participants in the Japanese study did, could raise your risk of developing kidney stones.

Should I Drink Green Tea?

If you’re concerned about heart health, it seems like green tea could be helpful. Unless your diet limits you or you’re concerned about some of the minor side effects outlined above, you could benefit from drinking green tea. Five cups per day may be overkill, but drinking a few cups could bring you some health benefits. And if you have any more questions about heart disease prevention, visit our office and talk to our preventative medicine experts today.