Green tea also has been shown to elevate levels of HDL, the good cholesterol that helps remove atherosclerotic plaque from arterial walls. Note that aspirin has some anti-thrombotic effects that differ from green tea, such as inhibition of cyclooxygenase. If you are taking low-dose aspirin to prevent a heart attack or stroke, you should continue doing so even if you also consume green tea. If you are going to use green tea to lower cholesterol, triglycerides or thrombotic risk factors, make sure you have your blood tested and evaluated by a competent medical professional. The loss of arterial elasticity is one cause of high blood pressure.
Youthful arteries expand and contract effortlessly with each heart beat.
Aging causes a loss of arterial elasticity. As noted above, green tea inhibits thromboxane production, which is one cause of arterial constriction. By blocking the effects of ACE, blood pressure is reduced significantly in most hypertensives. Green tea is a natural ACE inhibitor. Published studies show lowered blood pressure in animals and humans given green tea extracts.