Green tea, too much of a good thing (sometimes)

[jamesherried]

Green tea can be harmful in large quantities
Green tea is good for you, but only if drunk in moderation. While the polyphenols in green tea are credited with preventing heart disease and cancer, it seems they can cause liver and kidney damage if consumed in very large quantities, a review of studies into the toxicity of polyphenols has shown.

"People shouldn't be too alarmed by this, but those taking supplements may experience problems," says lead author Chung Yang of Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.

He stresses that up to 10 small cups of green tea a day is fine. Problems are likely in people who take supplements, which can contain up to 50 times as much polyphenol as a single cup of tea.

Yang's review cites experiments in which rodents and dogs died from liver poisoning when given very large doses of polyphenols. He also reports cases of people with liver toxicity after overdosing on green-tea-based supplements. Their symptoms disappeared when they stopped taking the pills, only to return when they started taking them again (Chemical Research in Toxicology, vol 20, p 583).

[drtodorov]

Numerous natural substances, including vitamins, can do harm above certain levels, e.g vitamin B6, A, D and so forth.

[jamesherried]

[drtodorov]

It is likely that particular polyphenol(s) have greater potential for toxicity. Hence the toxicity of the extract will depend on whether it has propotionately higher content of these particular polyphenol(s) (e.g EGCG or whatever) than a regular dried water extract.

[jamesherried]

Maybe fluoride in the green tea caused liver toxicity. I've often read that it's hard to find green tea supplements that are fluoride-free. In fact, I dont even know how one would do it for sure.

[drtodorov]

Interesting point. Fluoride toxicity from tea is conceivable. Tea accumulates fluoride from soil and ground water, so if grown in area with high fluoride levels in environment, tea may be high in fluoride. However, liver toxicity is not a common sign of fluoride toxicity, one would rather expect symptoms in GI tract, joints and nervous system.

[ascotlee]

I drink two cups a day.

[watson45]

Green tea is good for you, but only if drunk in moderation. While the polyphenols in green tea are credited with preventing heart disease and cancer, it seems they can cause liver and kidney damage if consumed in very large quantities, a review of studies into the toxicity of polyphenols has shown.
:P :P





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watson

[angela11]

Hi!
Why you shouldn't drink green tea during the meal?
I haven't heard about this yet..

[lesathomas]

Well green tea is so useful for losing fats and calories of body. It is natural antioxidant. I started using Green Tea extract about a year ago. It is also best for skin care.

[rosie]

That's so true. Green is effective for you,but not in too much quantity. Nothing is good if it is overdone.

[Richa94]

Since moderation is the key to life it implies on dietary consuming habits also, I also used to be a green tea addict but after I came to know its side effects, I started taking it in moderation quantity.

[cynthianelson]

Absolutely, drinking green tea is beneficial for us in several ways but remember drinking too much green tea is bad for health.

[abhi12]

Green tea is good for you, but it also protects the body from not drinking at any time of the day.
2-3 cups of green tea a day or 100 to 750 mg of green tea extract per day is particularly recommended, according to me. If green tea is heavily drunk, all the essential nutritional elements will start to be eliminated from your body.