Green Tea for Cholesterol | Drinking Tea To Lower Cholesterol

Green Tea and Cholesterol

If you enjoy an occasional cup of tea, you could be helping to lower your LDL cholesterol.  This is because recent studies have shown that tea keeps LDL cholesterol from oxidizing and building up in the body as plaque.  The result is a lower cholesterol level. 

If you already have a low cholesterol level, studies show that drinking tea will help to keep it low. 

If you have a high cholesterol level, drinking tea will get it within the normal range. Which type of tea helps to lower cholesterol? 

According to a study conducted by the University of Hong Kong, the teas that were used to help control the cholesterol level in rats fed a high cholesterol diet included: Jasmine, Iron Buddha, Pu-erh, oolong and green tea. 

Researchers wanted to see which type of tea would fair better at lowering cholesterol: fermented or those that are not fermented.  They found that the teas that were slightly fermented, (which would include Jasmine and green tea) had a more profound effect at lowering cholesterol than teas that had higher levels of fermentation, (which included Iron Buddha, Pu-erh and oolong). 

However, when it came to lowering cholesterol, they only did so by preventing more LDL cholesterol from forming; they didn’t increase the level of HDL cholesterol present in the rats’ blood. This is indeed good news if you’re a tea lover.  Also, since the study showed that jasmine and green tea were equally effective at lowering cholesterol, you can enjoy either one and still have assurance you are helping your LDL level. 

It is important to note, though, that green tea offers a few more health benefits than jasmine tea.  Both teas are effective at preventing cancer, but green tea can help with weight loss, heart disease and diabetes.  Additionally, jasmine tea has a very distinct ‘flowery’ flavor that may seem odd even to tea connoisseurs. 

Yet, if you happen to not like tea, don’t fret because you can still get tea’s cholesterol-lowering benefits without drinking one drop of it.  This is through green tea extract supplements, which are widely available in health food stores. 

There are some green tea extract supplements that are even considered multivitamins, so one pill can serve all of your daily vitamin needs.  If you do decide to take green tea extract supplements, however, you need to be careful not to take too many.  Although it is rare, it has been shown that too much green tea extracts could cause liver problems.  If, while taking green tea extract, you see any sign of liver problems, (which would include stomach pain, dark urine or jaundice), go see a doctor and stop taking them. 

However, it should be noted that both tea supplements and drinkable teas contain caffeine.  So, try not to take either before going to bed, as the caffeine will keep you up during the night.  Caffeine can also do other adverse things to the body if taken in high doses, so don’t think that just because you decide to drink tea that you can drink as much as you want.  Many people seem to just ‘know’ that they shouldn’t take too many supplements, but when it comes to drinking or eating something may be more likely to let their guard down thinking that these forms are healthier.