A new study investigated the association between green tea and the development of coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD is caused by the deposition of atherosclerotic plaque in the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle, known as the coronary arteries. Coronary atherosclerosis is the primary cause of heart attacks and angina (chest pain). Coronary heart disease is currently the single leading cause of death in the United States, and it is estimated that 1.26 million Americans will have a new or recurrent coronary attack this year.
In this new study, researchers evaluated the potential role that green tea intake may have on the development of CAD. Subjects included 520 Chinese patients who had undergone coronary arteriography, which is an imaging procedure that evaluates coronary blood flow by injecting a contrast dye into the arteries; the contrast dye is then visualized in X-rays of the heart. Based on the coronary arteriography results, the subjects were divided into 2 groups: those with evidence of CAD and those without the disease. The subjects were also evaluated for green tea intake.
The results showed that drinking green tea decreased the risk of developing CAD in men by 38 percent compared to the subjects who did not drink green tea. The male subjects, who consumed 125 grams or more of dried green tea leaves per month, had a 64 percent decrease in CAD risk. The study also found that in the male subjects, increasing frequency, duration, concentration and starting age of green tea intake correlated to decreased disease risk of coronary artery disease. No association was found between green tea intake and CAD in women.
The researchers concluded, “Green tea consumption can protect against the development of coronary atherosclerosis in Chinese male patients.”
Reference:
Wang QM, Gong QY, Yan JJ, Zhu J, Tang JJ, Wang MW, Yang ZJ, Wang LS. Association between green tea intake and coronary artery disease in a Chinese population. Circ J. 2010 Feb;74(2):294-300.
Individuals who do not want to consume large amounts of green tea as a beverage can take green tea extract capsules. The green tea extract capsules available here are very low in caffeine and have a high EGCG content.