Green tea & matcha

Camellia sinensis · 绿茶

Herbs & Roots. Chinese Medicine and Modern nutrition.

Also called Lu cha, Matcha, Sencha, Tea leaves

Pinyin: Lǜ Chá

Spanish: Té verde

Extract pills can harm liver

Leaves of the tea plant, dried and steamed or pan-fired to keep their green color, rich in catechins and caffeine.

Did you know? Green, black and white tea all come from the same plant. The difference comes from how the leaves are processed.

What it may help, and how strong the proof is

Heart health. Large studies link green tea drinking to lower heart disease. Trials on blood pressure and cholesterol are small or mixed.
Early proof
Weight. Trials show small weight changes. Tea is not a fat burner, and the effect is too small for most people.
Traditional proof
Cleansing & detox. Sold as a detox tea. No good evidence shows it removes toxins from the body.
Not supported

Parts of the body

Heart & vessels, Energy & metabolism, Liver, Kidneys & bladder

Traditional use

Chinese herb texts describe tea leaf (cha ye) as bitter and cooling. It is used to clear the head, ease thirst, aid digestion and promote urination.

How it is classified

Herbal actions: Antioxidant, Stimulant, Diuretic. Energy: cooling.
Chinese medicine: 绿茶 Clear heat. Nature: cool. Flavour: bitter, astringent. Enters the Heart, Lung, Spleen, Liver and Kidney channels.

How people take it

Drinking 2 to 3 cups a day is common and has been studied. Avoid concentrated extract pills unless a doctor advises them.

Tea, powder and capsule.

Where to get it

Grown in China, Japan, India, Sri Lanka and Kenya. Sold as loose leaf, bags, powdered matcha and extract capsules. Look for brands that test for contaminants.

Be careful

Tea is safe for most adults in normal amounts. Caffeine can cause sleep trouble, jitters, fast heartbeat or upset stomach. Green tea extract pills have been linked to rare but serious liver injury, especially when taken on an empty stomach.

Avoid if: liver disease; anemia; insomnia.

Mixing with other things

Works well together
Green tea is the main natural source of L-theanine.
Works well together
Moroccan mint tea is green tea brewed with fresh spearmint.
Use caution
Tea compounds can cut iron absorption. Keep tea an hour or more away from iron supplements or iron-rich meals.
Worth knowing
Blood thinners (warfarin, Eliquis, Xarelto, Plavix, daily aspirin)
Green tea has some vitamin K, which may lower warfarin's effect if intake changes a lot.

The honest take

Green tea is a pleasant drink with real heart-health links in large studies. Its weight and brain claims are small. Concentrated pills carry liver risk, and detox claims are not proven.