green tea and Reduced Blood Cholesterol

Research synthesisHigh evidenceSmall effect6 studies · 5 beneficial · 1 neutral · 0 harmful

Across 6 meta-analyses, 5 reported small-to-moderate beneficial effects of green tea on reducing total cholesterol, while one found neutral effects. Effects were predominantly small in magnitude. Most studies focused on overweight, obese, or postmenopausal women, and the median study duration was 90 days, indicating effects typically require several weeks of use.

Studied populations: overweight and obese adults, postmenopausal women

Caveats: Meta-analyses provide robust aggregate data, but one study rated its evidence as low-quality. Doses and forms were poorly reported across studies, preventing specific recommendations. The single neutral trial combined green tea with exercise, which may have masked an independent cholesterol-lowering effect. Clinical relevance of small effect sizes (e.g., reductions of ~4-7 mg/dL total cholesterol) may be modest for individuals with mildly elevated cholesterol.

Generated Jul 18, 2026

Time to effect

Median: 3 months · IQR 3 months–3 months · Range 3 months–3 months — Reported in 1 of 6 studies

Safety in these studies

appendicitisReported
Adverse events were measured in five trials and included a diagnosis of prostate cancer, hospitalisation for influenza, appendicitis and retinal detachment but these are unlikely to be directly attributable to the intervention.
from: Green and black tea for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.
hospitalisation for influenzaReportedSerious adverse event
Adverse events were measured in five trials and included a diagnosis of prostate cancer, hospitalisation for influenza, appendicitis and retinal detachment but these are unlikely to be directly attributable to the intervention.
from: Green and black tea for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.
prostate cancerReported
Adverse events were measured in five trials and included a diagnosis of prostate cancer, hospitalisation for influenza, appendicitis and retinal detachment but these are unlikely to be directly attributable to the intervention.
from: Green and black tea for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.
retinal detachmentReported
Adverse events were measured in five trials and included a diagnosis of prostate cancer, hospitalisation for influenza, appendicitis and retinal detachment but these are unlikely to be directly attributable to the intervention.
from: Green and black tea for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.

6 of 6 papersPopulation:

Effects of green tea use on the metabolic profile of postmenopausal women: systematic review and meta-analysis.
- 2026-06
- Meta-Analysis · n = 109
- European journal of nutrition 65(4)
- - Isabella Heloísa Rodrigues Zago
  - Laura Colonetti
  - Eduarda Letícia Balbinot
  - Igor Specht Taschetto
  - Antonio José Grande
  - Maria Inês da Rosa
  - Tamy Colonetti
- PubMed: 42228178
- DOI: 10.1007/s00394-026-04005-8
6 Insights on
- Reduced Blood Cholesterol
- High evidence
- Rigorous Journal
- Elderly
The meta-analysis showed that green tea reduced total cholesterol levels in postmenopausal women (mean difference [MD]: -7.03; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -13.24 to - 0.82; p = 0.03; I² = 0%; four studies; 1,109 participants; low-quality evidence).
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Small
Significant
Yes
Dose
Not specified in abstract
Effects of green tea on lipid profile in overweight and obese women.
- 2024-06
- Meta-Analysis · n = 1,818
- International journal for vitamin and nutrition research. Internationale Zeitschrift fur Vitamin- und Ernahrungsforschung. Journal international de vitaminologie et de nutrition 94(3-4)
- - Aixin Li
  - Qian Wang
  - Peng Li
  - Na Zhao
  - Zhaoguang Liang
- PubMed: 37082776
- DOI: 10.1024/0300-9831/a000783
4 Insights on
- Reduced Blood Cholesterol
- High evidence
- Clinical
The combined effect size revealed a significant reduction in total cholesterol (TC) (WMD: -4.45 mg/dl, 95% CI: -6.63, -2.27, P<0.001)
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Small
Significant
Yes
Effect of the herbal medicines in obesity and metabolic syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials.
- 2019-12-02
- Meta-Analysis · n = 279
- Phytotherapy research : PTR 34(3)
- - Moloud Payab
  - Shirin Hasani-Ranjbar
  - Nazila Shahbal
  - Mostafa Qorbani
  - Azadeh Aletaha
  - Hamed Haghi-Aminjan
  - Akbar Soltani
  - Fatemeh Khatami
  - Shekoufeh Nikfar
  - Shokoufeh Hassani
  - Mohammad Abdollahi
  - Bagher Larijani
- PubMed: 31793087
- DOI: 10.1002/ptr.6547
4 Insights on
- Reduced Blood Cholesterol
- High evidence
- Clinical
Meta-analysis showed that intake of green tea resulted in a significant improvement in ... total cholesterol, ([SMD]: -0.43 [-0.77, -0.09])
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Small
Significant
Yes
Green and black tea for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.
- 2013-06-18
- Meta-Analysis · n = 821
- The Cochrane database of systematic reviews 2013(6)
- - Louise Hartley
  - Nadine Flowers
  - Jennifer Holmes
  - Aileen Clarke
  - Saverio Stranges
  - Lee Hooper
  - Karen Rees
- PubMed: 23780706
- DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd009934.pub2
4 Insights on
- Reduced Blood Cholesterol
- High evidence
- Mixed
Green tea was also found to produce statistically significant reductions in total cholesterol (MD -0.62 mmol/L, 95% CI -0.77 to -0.46)
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Significant
Yes
Dose
not stated (varied by trial)
The Association Between Green Tea Intake and Metabolic Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
- 2025-10-09
- Meta-Analysis
- Clinical therapeutics 47(12)
- - Sahar Ghoflchi
  - Hadiseh Mohammadi
  - Maryam Teimouri
  - Masoud Imani
  - Hossein Hosseini
- PubMed: 41073208
- DOI: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2025.09.011
8 Insights on
- Reduced Blood Cholesterol
- High evidence
Among women, green tea improved total cholesterol (SMD: -0.79)
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Significant
Yes
Dose
<3000 mg/day
Does green tea catechin enhance weight-loss effect of exercise training in overweight and obese individuals? a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials.
- 2024-09-30
- Meta-Analysis
- Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 21(1)
- - Farhad Gholami
  - Jose Antonio
  - Mohadeseh Iranpour
  - Jason Curtis
  - Flavia Pereira
- PubMed: 39350601
- DOI: 10.1080/15502783.2024.2411029
7 Insights on
- Reduced Blood Cholesterol
- High evidence
- Clinical
total cholesterol SMD = -0.54, CI -0.85 to 0.13
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Significant
No

green tea and Reduced Blood Cholesterol

Effects of green tea use on the metabolic profile of postmenopausal women: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Effects of green tea on lipid profile in overweight and obese women.

Effect of the herbal medicines in obesity and metabolic syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials.

Green and black tea for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.

The Association Between Green Tea Intake and Metabolic Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Does green tea catechin enhance weight-loss effect of exercise training in overweight and obese individuals? a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials.