Green Tea and Atherosclerosis Plague
Reduce LDL Cholesterol

Atherosclerosis (clogged arteries) is a predominant problem in the Western world. Our poor diets and sedentary lifestyles certainly contribute to the problem, but there is also a natural genetic tendency in some people to develop atherosclerosis.

As we grow older, our arteries naturally harden. Fats, cholesterols and blood platelets accumulate in the artery wall, forming a layer of atherosclerotic plaque. When they thicken and block the entire artery, a heart attack or stroke occurs.

It has been found that green tea may keep your arteries clear by:

• Reducing LDL, the bad cholesterols, while leaving HDL, the good cholesterols alone. HDL are good cholesterols and have been found to remove atherosclerotic plaque.

• Reducing blood level triglycerides, the chemical from fat that exists in our blood. Too many triglycerides in the blood can cause heart disease.

• Reducing lipid peroxides, free radicals that can cause cellular damage to LDL cholesterols and other lipids or fats. They have been linked to heart disease.

• Reducing fibrinogen, or a protein found in blood involved in the formation of blood clots.

This could also lower blood pressure as it eases the heart’s task of pumping blood through less inflamed arteries.

A study involving laboratory hamsters suggests that green tea inhibits atherosclerosis, or the hardening and thickening of arteries.

The human equivalent dose of 3 to 4 cups a day was associated with 26% to 46% lower risk of atherosclerosis in the animals.

The human equivalent dose of 10 cups a day was associated with 48% to 63% lower risk in the hamsters.

Another study conducted by Sasazuki involved 512 heart disease patients. He found that men who drank 2 or more cups of green tea a day had a lower risk of atherosclerosis, but not women.

Sasazuki S et all (2000). A relation between green tea consumption and severity of coronary atherosclerosis among Japanese men and women. Ann Epidemiol 10:401-408.

Green Tea and Heart Heatlh

Green tea and heart studies have always been controversial and conflicting. But increasingly scientists are uncovering evidence of tea's real benefits.

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