Green tea

[[File:Green_Tea.jpg|thumb|upright|right|Mmmh... Tea...]]{{foodnav}}
'''Green tea''' is a delightfully light [[fun:tea|tea]] that is dried in such a way that it does not darken like black tea. The leaves are less oxidized and it has a shelf life of a year (more or less), unlike black tea, which can last for years and years in drinkable condition if kept dry.

Green tea's inclusion here, however, is due to its [[woo]] status as the Next-Best-[[Panacea]]-and-[[Weight loss woo|Weightloss]]-Drink ever! Maladies other than a fat ass for which it's touted as a treatment include baldness in both men and women,<ref>http://www.hairloss-research.org/LinkGreenTearaisesSHBG1-08.html</ref> and that pesky malady called "[[cancer]]".<ref>http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/Green-Tea</ref>

==The two sides== 
===Please Buy Me===
* [http://www.o-cha.com/green-tea-weight-loss.htm It works], and I've got all kinds of scientificky sounding stuff here to convince you.
* [http://www.ultimatefatburner.com/green-tea.html I link] to all kinds of articles you've never heard of, from sources you've never heard of, and some of my super-uber links even work.
* [http://www.amazing-green-tea.com/green-tea-weight-loss.html I'm a critic.] Really, really I am. But long and hard research has convinced me!

===We remain highly dubious===
*[http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20080123/green-tea-may-ward-off-weight-gain Web MD] says there is a study on [[mowse|mice]] suggesting green tea helps oxidize fat. There is also some suggestion that the routinization of drinking tea helps a person focus on remaining on a diet. Expected loss by tea alone is minimal, under 5 lbs. Most importantly, any ol' green tea is as good as the expensive "weight loss stuff" sold at exorbitant prices. And by the way, sorry to say, you still have to diet with the tea.
*[http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/fcn/gras_notices/grn000259-1.pdf FDA]: Green tea is an uber tasty drink that actually may do some good. So might walking every day.
*There is some evidence that green tea ''extract'' could be associated with liver toxicity.<ref>[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25975988 Hepatotoxicity of green tea: an update] by G. Mazzanti et al. (2015) ''Arch. Toxicol.'' 89(8):1175-91. doi: 10.1007/s00204-015-1521-x.</ref><ref name=avigan>[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4813193/ Scientific and Regulatory Perspectives in Herbal and Dietary Supplement Associated Hepatotoxicity in the United States] by Mark I. Avigan et al. ''Int. J. Mol. Sci.'' 2016 Mar; 17(3): 331. doi:10.3390/ijms17030331.</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-45971416 'The food supplement that ruined my liver'] (25 October 2018) ''BBC News''.</ref> So don't get to thinking that more (or more concentrated) is necessarily better.

==The conclusion==
[[Caffeine]] speeds up your metabolism a bit. There's also more theobromine (which is related to caffeine and works a bit like it) than in black tea, and a slightly higher concentration of [[Vitamin C]]. Some forms of tea, including green tea, contain L-theanine, an [[amino acid]], which has been shown to very mildly reduce anxiety. Tea, depending a bit on where it's grown, can reduce tooth decay; this is because tea plants are great at soaking up all that delicious [[Water fluoridation|fluoride]] in the soil.

Tea, [[wine]], [[fun:Chocolate|chocolate]], [[Açaí berry|açaí berries]], are all yummy additions to a healthy diet and have numerous potential positive side effects. Eat them, enjoy them, but don't expect [[miracles]] here.

Also, large doses can impede the effectiveness of chemotherapy for treating [[cancer]].<ref>[http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/dec/03/alternative-therapies-risk-effectiveness-of-cancer-treatment-researchers-find green tea is one of the treatments considered in this study.]</ref> In rare cases, people has come down with hepatitis from green tea &mdash; possibly from a contaminated batch from sketchy on-line sources.<ref>[https://www.livescience.com/52392-green-tea-hepatitis.html Girl Develops Acute Hepatitis After Drinking Unusual Green Tea] by Laura Geggel (October 06, 2015) ''Live Science''.</ref><ref>[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282120283_Chinese_green_tea_and_acute_hepatitis_a_rare_yet_recurring_theme Chinese green tea and acute hepatitis: a rare yet recurring theme] by Sebastian Thomas Lugg1 et al. (2015 ''BMJ Case Reports'' doi:10.1136/bcr-2014-208534.</ref><ref>[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16148563 Fulminant hepatitis during self-medication with hydroalcoholic extract of green tea] by R. Gloro et al. (2005) ''Eur. J. Gastroenterol. Hepatol.'' ;17(10):1135-7. doi:10.1097/00042737-200510000-00021.</ref><ref>[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24862489 Concentrated green tea extract induces severe acute hepatitis in a 63-year-old woman--a case report with pharmaceutical analysis] by M.H. Pillukat (2014) ''J. Ethnopharmacol.'' 155(1):165-70. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2014.05.015.</ref> These individual cases are in basic agreement with a recent [[meta-analysis]] which found that concentrated doses of catechin-rich green tea preparations resulted in hepatic adverse events.<ref>[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29580974-the-safety-of-green-tea-and-green-tea-extract-consumption-in-adults-results-of-a-systematic-review/ The Safety of Green Tea and Green Tea Extract Consumption in Adults - Results of a Systematic Review] by Jiang Hu et al. (2018) ''Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacoloy'' 95:412-433. doi:10.1016/j.yrtph.2018.03.019.</ref>

Avoid [[herbal supplement]]s with green tea extract. If you enjoy green tea, drink it in moderation.

==See also==
*[[Anti-oxidants]]
*[[Nutritionist]]
*[[Tea Party]]
*[[Rooibos tea|Red tea]]

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

{{foodbox}}

[[Category:Alternative medicine]]
[[Category:Drink]]
[[Category:Cancer woo]]
[[Category:Food woo]]
[[Category:Herbal medicine]]
[[Category:Plants]]

Categories: Alternative medicine, Drink, Cancer woo, Food woo, Herbal medicine, Plants