Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Review Article
  • Published:

Green tea and cancer and cardiometabolic diseases: a review of the current epidemiological evidence

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 75, pages 865–876 (2021)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Green tea is commonly consumed in China, Japan, and Korea and certain parts of North Africa and is gaining popularity in other parts of the world. The aim of this review was to objectively evaluate the existing evidence related to green tea consumption and various health outcomes, especially cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. This review captured evidence from meta-analyses as well as expert reports and recent individual studies. For certain individual cancer sites: endometrial, lung, oral and ovarian cancer, and non-Hodgkins lymphoma the majority of meta-analyses observed an inverse association with green tea. Mixed findings were observed for breast, esophageal, gastric, liver and a mostly null association for colorectal, pancreatic, and prostate cancer. No studies reported adverse effects from green tea related to cancer although consuming hot tea has been found to possibly increase the risk of esophageal cancer and concerns of hepatotoxity were raised as a result of high doses of green tea. The literature overall supports an inverse association between green tea and cardiovascular disease-related health outcomes. The evidence for diabetes-related health outcomes is less convincing, while the included meta-analyses generally suggested an inverse association between green tea and BMI-related and blood pressure outcomes. Fewer studies investigated the association between green tea and other health outcomes such as cognitive outcomes, dental health, injuries and respiratory disease. This review concludes that green tea consumption overall may be considered beneficial for human health.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1
Fig. 2: Green tea consumption and overall risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease from recent meta-analyses.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Graham HN. Green tea composition, consumption, and polyphenol chemistry. Prev Med. 1992;21:334–50.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research. Non-alcoholic drinks and the risk of cancer. In: Continuous Update Project Expert Report 2018; 2018. Available at dietandcancerreport.org. https://www.wcrf.org/sites/default/files/Non-alcoholic-drinks.pdf.

  3. International Agency for Research on Cancer. IARC monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans, volume 51. Coffee, tea, mate, methylxanthines and methylglyoxal. Lyon: IARC; 1991.

  4. Huang J, Wang Y, Xie Z, Zhou Y, Zhang Y, Wan X. The anti-obesity effects of green tea in human intervention and basic molecular studies. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2014;68:1075–87. https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2014.143.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Xing L, Zhang H, Qi R, Tsao R, Mine Y. Recent advances in the understanding of the health benefits and molecular mechanisms associated with green tea polyphenols. J Agric Food Chem. 2019;67:1029–43. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.8b06146.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Dona M, Dell’Aica I, Calabrese F, Benelli R, Morini M, Albini A, et al. Neutrophil restraint by green tea: inhibition of inflammation, associated angiogenesis, and pulmonary fibrosis. J Immunol. 2003;170:4335–41. https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.170.8.4335.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Sudano Roccaro A, Blanco AR, Giuliano F, Rusciano D, Enea V. Epigallocatechin-gallate enhances the activity of tetracycline in staphylococci by inhibiting its efflux from bacterial cells. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2004;48:1968–73. https://doi.org/10.1128/AAC.48.6.1968-1973.2004.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Weinreb O, Mandel S, Amit T, Youdim MB. Neurological mechanisms of green tea polyphenols in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. J Nutr Biochem. 2004;15:506–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnutbio.2004.05.002.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Raederstorff DG, Schlachter MF, Elste V, Weber P. Effect of EGCG on lipid absorption and plasma lipid levels in rats. J Nutr Biochem. 2003;14:326–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0955-2863(03)00054-8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research. Diet, nutrition, physical activity and cancer: a global persepective. Continuous Update Project Expert Report 2018; 2018. Available at dietandcancerreport.org.

  11. Chacko SM, Thambi PT, Kuttan R, Nishigaki I. Beneficial effects of green tea: a literature review. Chin Med. 2010;5:13. https://doi.org/10.1186/1749-8546-5-13.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  12. Yi M, Wu X, Zhuang W, Xia L, Chen Y, Zhao R, et al. Tea consumption and health outcomes: umbrella review of meta-analyses of observational studies in humans. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2019;63:e1900389. https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.201900389.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Zhang YF, Xu Q, Lu J, Wang P, Zhang HW, Zhou L, et al. Tea consumption and the incidence of cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective observational studies. Eur J Cancer Prev. 2015;24:353–62. https://doi.org/10.1097/cej.0000000000000094.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Pang J, Zhang Z, Zheng TZ, Bassig BA, Mao C, Liu X, et al. Green tea consumption and risk of cardiovascular and ischemic related diseases: a meta-analysis. Int J Cardiol. 2016;202:967–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcard.2014.12.176.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Poole R, Kennedy OJ, Roderick P, Fallowfield JA, Hayes PC, Parkes J. Coffee consumption and health: umbrella review of meta-analyses of multiple health outcomes. BMJ. 2017;359:j5024. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.j5024.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  16. Gardner EJ, Ruxton CH, Leeds AR. Black tea–helpful or harmful? A review of the evidence. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007;61:3–18. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602489.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Ouzzani MHH, Fedorowicz Z, Elmagarmid A. Rayyan—a web and mobile app for systematic reviews. Syst Rev. 2016;5:210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Boehm K, Borrelli F, Ernst E, Habacher G, Hung SK, Milazzo S, et al. Green tea (Camellia sinensis) for the prevention of cancer. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2009; CD005004. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD005004.pub2.

  19. Johnson R, Bryant S, Huntley AL. Green tea and green tea catechin extracts: an overview of the clinical evidence. Maturitas. 2012;73:280–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2012.08.008.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Eisenstein M. Tea’s value as a cancer therapy is steeped in uncertainty. Nature. 2019;566:S6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Abe SK, Saito E, Sawada N, Tsugane S, Ito H, Lin Y, et al. Green tea consumption and mortality in Japanese men and women: a pooled analysis of eight population-based cohort studies in Japan. Eur J Epidemiol. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-019-00545-y.

  22. Tang J, Zheng JS, Fang L, Jin Y, Cai W, Li D. Tea consumption and mortality of all cancers, CVD and all causes: a meta-analysis of eighteen prospective cohort studies. Br J Nutr. 2015;114:673–83. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114515002329.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Wang X, Lin YW, Wang S, Wu J, Mao QQ, Zheng XY, et al. A meta-analysis of tea consumption and the risk of bladder cancer. Urol Int. 2013;90:10–16. https://doi.org/10.1159/000342804.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Bai Y, Yuan H, Li J, Tang Y, Pu C, Han P. Relationship between bladder cancer and total fluid intake: a meta-analysis of epidemiological evidence. World J Surg Oncol. 2014;12:223 https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7819-12-223.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  25. Weng H, Zeng XT, Li S, Kwong JS, Liu TZ, Wang XH. Tea consumption and risk of bladder cancer: a dose-response meta-analysis. Front Physiol. 2016;7:693. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2016.00693.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Hong X, Xu Q, Lan K, Huang H, Zhang Y, Chen S, et al. The effect of daily fluid management and beverages consumption on the risk of bladder cancer: a meta-analysis of observational study. Nutr Cancer. 2018;70:1217–27. https://doi.org/10.1080/01635581.2018.1512636.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Qin J, Xie B, Mao Q, Kong D, Lin Y, Zheng X. Tea consumption and risk of bladder cancer: a meta-analysis. World J Surg Oncol. 2012;10:172. https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7819-10-172.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  28. Wu S, Li F, Huang X, Hua Q, Huang T, Liu Z, et al. The association of tea consumption with bladder cancer risk: a meta-analysis. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2013;22:128–37. https://doi.org/10.6133/apjcn.2013.22.1.15.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Yu S, Zhu L, Wang K, Yan Y, He J, Ren Y. Green tea consumption and risk of breast cancer: a systematic review and updated meta-analysis of case-control studies. Medicine. 2019;98:e16147. https://doi.org/10.1097/md.0000000000016147.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  30. Gianfredi V, Nucci D, Abalsamo A, Acito M, Villarini M, Moretti M, et al. Green tea consumption and risk of breast cancer and recurrence—a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Nutrients. 2018; 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10121886.

  31. Ogunleye AA, Xue F, Michels KB. Green tea consumption and breast cancer risk or recurrence: a meta-analysis. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2010;119:477–84. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-009-0415-0.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Sun CL, Yuan JM, Koh WP, Yu MC. Green tea, black tea and breast cancer risk: a meta-analysis of epidemiological studies. Carcinogenesis. 2006;27:1310–5. https://doi.org/10.1093/carcin/bgi276.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Gao Y, Huang YB, Liu XO, Chen C, Dai HJ, Song FJ, et al. Tea consumption, alcohol drinking and physical activity associations with breast cancer risk among Chinese females: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2013;14:7543–50. https://doi.org/10.7314/apjcp.2013.14.12.7543.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Wang Y, Zhao Y, Chong F, Song M, Sun Q, Li T, et al. A dose-response meta-analysis of green tea consumption and breast cancer risk. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2020:1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/09637486.2020.1715353.

  35. Najaf Najafi M, Salehi M, Ghazanfarpour M, Hoseini ZS, Khadem-Rezaiyan M. The association between green tea consumption and breast cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Phytother Res. 2018;32:1855–64. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.6124.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Seely D, Mills EJ, Wu P, Verma S, Guyatt GH. The effects of green tea consumption on incidence of breast cancer and recurrence of breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Integr Cancer Ther. 2005;4:144–55. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534735405276420.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Wu Y, Zhang D, Kang S. Black tea, green tea and risk of breast cancer: an update. Springerplus. 2013;2:240. https://doi.org/10.1186/2193-1801-2-240.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  38. Wang SK, Xiao HM, Xia H, Sun GJ. Tea consumption and risk of breast cancer: a meta-analysis. Int J Clin Pharm Ther. 2018;56:617–9. https://doi.org/10.5414/cp203303.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Yu F, Jin Z, Jiang H, Xiang C, Tang J, Li T, et al. Tea consumption and the risk of five major cancers: a dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. BMC Cancer. 2014;14:197. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2407-14-197.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  40. Chen Y, Wu Y, Du M, Chu H, Zhu L, Tong N, et al. An inverse association between tea consumption and colorectal cancer risk. Oncotarget. 2017;8:37367–76. https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.16959.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  41. Wang XJ, Zeng XT, Duan XL, Zeng HC, Shen R, Zhou P. Association between green tea and colorectal cancer risk: a meta-analysis of 13 case-control studies. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2012;13:3123–7. https://doi.org/10.7314/apjcp.2012.13.7.3123. e-pub ahead of print 2012/09/22.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Wang ZH, Gao QY, Fang JY. Green tea and incidence of colorectal cancer: evidence from prospective cohort studies. Nutr Cancer. 2012;64:1143–52. https://doi.org/10.1080/01635581.2012.718031.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Zhang Y, Zhang Y, Wu X, Xiang M, Ma Y. Tea consumption reduces the incidence of gallbladder cancer based on a meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies. Sci China Life Sci. 2015;58:922–4. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-015-4896-2.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Sun CL, Yuan JM, Koh WP, Yu MC. Green tea, black tea and colorectal cancer risk: a meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies. Carcinogenesis. 2006;27:1301–9. https://doi.org/10.1093/carcin/bgl024.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Yi Y, Liang H, Jing H, Jian Z, Guang Y, Jun Z, et al. Green tea consumption and esophageal cancer risk: a meta-analysis. Nutr Cancer. 2019:1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/01635581.2019.1636101.

  46. Sang LX, Chang B, Li XH, Jiang M. Green tea consumption and risk of esophageal cancer: a meta-analysis of published epidemiological studies. Nutr Cancer. 2013;65:802–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/01635581.2013.805423.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Zheng JS, Yang J, Fu YQ, Huang T, Huang YJ, Li D. Effects of green tea, black tea, and coffee consumption on the risk of esophageal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Nutr Cancer. 2013;65:1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/01635581.2013.741762.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Zheng P, Zheng HM, Deng XM, Zhang YD. Green tea consumption and risk of esophageal cancer: a meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies. BMC Gastroenterol. 2012;12:165. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-230x-12-165.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  49. Zhou Y, Li N, Zhuang W, Liu G, Wu T, Yao X, et al. Green tea and gastric cancer risk: meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2008;17:159–65.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Huang Y, Chen H, Zhou L, Li G, Yi D, Zhang Y, et al. Association between green tea intake and risk of gastric cancer: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of observational studies. Public Health Nutr. 2017;20:3183–92. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1368980017002208.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  51. Myung SK, Bae WK, Oh SM, Kim Y, Ju W, Sung J, et al. Green tea consumption and risk of stomach cancer: a meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies. Int J Cancer. 2009;124:670–7. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.23880.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Kang H, Rha SY, Oh KW, Nam CM. Green tea consumption and stomach cancer risk: a meta-analysis. Epidemiol Health. 2010;32:e2010001. https://doi.org/10.4178/epih/e2010001.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  53. Huang YQ, Lu X, Min H, Wu QQ, Shi XT, Bian KQ, et al. Green tea and liver cancer risk: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies in Asian populations. Nutrition. 2016;32:3–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2015.05.021.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  54. Ni CX, Gong H, Liu Y, Qi Y, Jiang CL, Zhang JP. Green tea consumption and the risk of liver cancer: a meta-analysis. Nutr Cancer. 2017;69:211–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/01635581.2017.1263754.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. Yin X, Yang J, Li T, Song L, Han T, Yang M, et al. The effect of green tea intake on risk of liver disease: a meta analysis. Int J Clin Exp Med. 2015;8:8339–46.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  56. Fon Sing M, Yang WS, Gao S, Gao J, Xiang YB. Epidemiological studies of the association between tea drinking and primary liver cancer: a meta-analysis. Eur J Cancer Prev. 2011;20:157–65. https://doi.org/10.1097/CEJ.0b013e3283447497. e-pub ahead of print 2011/03/16.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  57. Tanaka K, Tamakoshi A, Sugawara Y, Mizoue T, Inoue M, Sawada N, et al. Coffee, green tea and liver cancer risk: an evaluation based on a systematic review of epidemiologic evidence among the Japanese population. Jpn J Clin Oncol. 2019;49:972–84. https://doi.org/10.1093/jjco/hyz097.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  58. Guo Z, Jiang M, Luo W, Zheng P, Huang H, Sun B. Association of lung cancer and tea-drinking habits of different subgroup populations: meta-analysis of case-control studies and cohort studies. Iran J Public Health. 2019;48:1566–76.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  59. Tang N, Wu Y, Zhou B, Wang B, Yu R. Green tea, black tea consumption and risk of lung cancer: a meta-analysis. Lung Cancer. 2009;65:274–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lungcan.2008.12.002.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  60. Wang Y, Yu X, Wu Y, Zhang D. Coffee and tea consumption and risk of lung cancer: a dose-response analysis of observational studies. Lung Cancer. 2012;78:169–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lungcan.2012.08.009.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  61. Wang L, Zhang X, Liu J, Shen L, Li Z. Tea consumption and lung cancer risk: a meta-analysis of case-control and cohort studies. Nutrition. 2014;30:1122–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2014.02.023.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  62. Mirtavoos-Mahyari H, Salehipour P, Parohan M, Sadeghi A. Effects of coffee, black tea and green tea consumption on the risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of observational studies. Nutr Cancer. 2019;71:887–97. https://doi.org/10.1080/01635581.2019.1595055.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  63. Wang W, Yang Y, Zhang W, Wu W. Association of tea consumption and the risk of oral cancer: a meta-analysis. Oral Oncol. 2014;50:276–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oraloncology.2013.12.014.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  64. Liu Q, Jiao Y, Zhao Y, Wang YR, Li J, Ma S, et al. Tea consumption reduces the risk of oral cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Clin Exp Med. 2016;9:2688–97.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  65. Zeng JL, Li ZH, Wang ZC, Zhang HL. Green tea consumption and risk of pancreatic cancer: a meta-analysis. Nutrients. 2014;6:4640–50. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu6114640.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  66. Wei J, Chen L, Zhu X. Tea drinking and risk of pancreatic cancer. Chin Med J. 2014;127:3638–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  67. Chang B, Sang L, Wang Y, Tong J, Wang BY. Consumption of tea and risk for pancreatic cancer: a meta-analysis of published epidemiological studies. Nutr Cancer. 2014;66:1109–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/01635581.2014.951730.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  68. Chen K, Zhang Q, Peng M, Shen Y, Wan P, Xie G. Relationship between tea consumption and pancreatic cancer risk: a meta-analysis based on prospective cohort studies and case-control studies. Eur J Cancer Prev. 2014;23:353–60. https://doi.org/10.1097/cej.0000000000000033.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  69. Guo Y, Zhi F, Chen P, Zhao K, Xiang H, Mao Q, et al. Green tea and the risk of prostate cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine. 2017;96:e6426. https://doi.org/10.1097/md.0000000000006426.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  70. Lin YW, Hu ZH, Wang X, Mao QQ, Qin J, Zheng XY, et al. Tea consumption and prostate cancer: an updated meta-analysis. World J Surg Oncol. 2014;12:38. https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7819-12-38.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  71. Zheng J, Yang B, Huang T, Yu Y, Yang J, Li D. Green tea and black tea consumption and prostate cancer risk: an exploratory meta-analysis of observational studies. Nutr Cancer. 2011;63:663–72. https://doi.org/10.1080/01635581.2011.570895.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  72. Fei X, Shen Y, Li X, Guo H. The association of tea consumption and the risk and progression of prostate cancer: a meta-analysis. Int J Clin Exp Med. 2014;7:3881–91.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  73. Butler LM, Wu AH. Green and black tea in relation to gynecologic cancers. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2011;55:931–40. https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.201100058.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  74. Gao M, Ma W, Chen XB, Chang ZW, Zhang XD, Zhang MZ. Meta-analysis of green tea drinking and the prevalence of gynecological tumors in women. Asia Pac J Public Health. 2013;25 Suppl 4:43s–48s. https://doi.org/10.1177/1010539513493313.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  75. Nagle CM, Olsen CM, Bain CJ, Whiteman DC, Green AC, Webb PM. Tea consumption and risk of ovarian cancer. Cancer Causes Control. 2010;21:1485–91. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-010-9577-7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  76. Zhang D, Kaushiva A, Xi Y, Wang T, Li N. Non-herbal tea consumption and ovarian cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational epidemiologic studies with indirect comparison and dose-response analysis. Carcinogenesis. 2018;39:808–18. https://doi.org/10.1093/carcin/bgy048.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  77. Tang NP, Li H, Qiu YL, Zhou GM, Ma J. Tea consumption and risk of endometrial cancer: a metaanalysis. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2009;201:605.e601–608. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2009.07.030.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  78. Zhou Q, Li H, Zhou JG, Ma Y, Wu T, Ma H. Green tea, black tea consumption and risk of endometrial cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2016;293:143–55. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-015-3811-1.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  79. Islami F, Poustchi H, Pourshams A, Khoshnia M, Gharavi A, Kamangar F, et al. A prospective study of tea drinking temperature and risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Int J Cancer. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.32220.

  80. Inoue M, Sasazuki S, Wakai K, Suzuki T, Matsuo K, Shimazu T, et al. Green tea consumption and gastric cancer in Japanese: a pooled analysis of six cohort studies. Gut. 2009;58:1323–32. https://doi.org/10.1136/gut.2008.166710.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  81. Isomura T, Suzuki S, Origasa H, Hosono A, Suzuki M, Sawada T, et al. Liver-related safety assessment of green tea extracts in humans: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2016;70:1221–9. https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2016.78.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  82. Mazzanti G, Menniti-Ippolito F, Moro PA, Cassetti F, Raschetti R, Santuccio C, et al. Hepatotoxicity from green tea: a review of the literature and two unpublished cases. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2009;65:331–41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-008-0610-7. e-pub ahead of print 2009/02/10.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  83. Zhang X, Albanes D, Beeson WL, van den Brandt PA, Buring JE, Flood A, et al. Risk of colon cancer and coffee, tea, and sugar-sweetened soft drink intake: pooled analysis of prospective cohort studies. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2010;102:771–83. https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djq107.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  84. Zhang C, Qin YY, Wei X, Yu FF, Zhou YH, He J. Tea consumption and risk of cardiovascular outcomes and total mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective observational studies. Eur J Epidemiol. 2015;30:103–13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-014-9960-x.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  85. Arab L, Liu W, Elashoff D. Green and black tea consumption and risk of stroke: a meta-analysis. Stroke. 2009;40:1786–92. https://doi.org/10.1161/strokeaha.108.538470.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  86. Shen L, Song LG, Ma H, Jin CN, Wang JA, Xiang MX. Tea consumption and risk of stroke: a dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B. 2012;13:652–62. https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.B1201001. e-pub ahead of print 2012/07/31.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  87. Wang ZM, Zhou B, Wang YS, Gong QY, Wang QM, Yan JJ, et al. Black and green tea consumption and the risk of coronary artery disease: a meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011;93:506–15. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.110.005363. e-pub ahead of print 2011/01/21.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  88. American Heart Association. Coronary artery disease - coronary heart disease. (American Heart Association, 2015). https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/consumer-healthcare/what-is-cardiovascular-disease/coronaryartery-disease.

  89. Yu J, Song P, Perry R, Penfold C, Cooper AR. The effectiveness of green tea or green tea extract on insulin resistance and glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis. Diabetes Metab J. 2017;41:2510–262. https://doi.org/10.4093/dmj.2017.41.4.251.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  90. Wang X, Tian J, Jiang J, Li L, Ying X, Tian H, et al. Effects of green tea or green tea extract on insulin sensitivity and glycaemic control in populations at risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2014;27:501–12. https://doi.org/10.1111/jhn.12181.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  91. Li Y, Wang C, Huai Q, Guo F, Liu L, Feng R, et al. Effects of tea or tea extract on metabolic profiles in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis of ten randomized controlled trials. Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2016;32:2–10. https://doi.org/10.1002/dmrr.2641.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  92. Yang WS, Wang WY, Fan WY, Deng Q, Wang X. Tea consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: a dose-response meta-analysis of cohort studies. Br J Nutr. 2014;111:1329–39. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0007114513003887. e-pub ahead of print 2013/12/18.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  93. Kondo Y, Goto A, Noma H, Iso H, Hayashi K, Noda M. Effects of coffee and tea consumption on glucose metabolism: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Nutrients. 2018;11. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11010048.

  94. Liu K, Zhou R, Wang B, Chen K, Shi LY, Zhu JD, et al. Effect of green tea on glucose control and insulin sensitivity: a meta-analysis of 17 randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013;98:340–8. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.112.052746.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  95. Nahas R, Moher M. Complementary and alternative medicine for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Can Fam Physician. 2009;55:591–6.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  96. Phung OJ, Baker WL, Matthews LJ, Lanosa M, Thorne A, Coleman CI. Effect of green tea catechins with or without caffeine on anthropometric measures: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010;91:73–81. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.2009.28157.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  97. Vazquez Cisneros LC, Lopez-Uriarte P, Lopez-Espinoza A, Navarro Meza M, Espinoza-Gallardo AC, Guzman Aburto MB. Effects of green tea and its epigallocatechin (EGCG) content on body weight and fat mass in humans: a systematic review. Nutr Hosp. 2017;34:731–7. https://doi.org/10.20960/nh.753.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  98. Hibi M, Takase H, Iwasaki M, Osaki N, Katsuragi Y. Efficacy of tea catechin-rich beverages to reduce abdominal adiposity and metabolic syndrome risks in obese and overweight subjects: a pooled analysis of 6 human trials. Nutr Res. 2018;55:1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nutres.2018.03.012.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  99. Hursel R, Viechtbauer W, Westerterp-Plantenga MS. The effects of green tea on weight loss and weight maintenance: a meta-analysis. Int J Obes. 2009;33:956–61. https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2009.135.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  100. Jurgens TM, Whelan AM, Killian L, Doucette S, Kirk S, Foy E. Green tea for weight loss and weight maintenance in overweight or obese adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;12:Cd008650. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD008650.pub2. e-pub ahead of print 2012/12/14.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  101. Golzarand M, Toolabi K, Aghasi M. Effect of green tea, caffeine and capsaicin supplements on the anthropometric indices: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. J Funct Food 2018;46:320–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2018.04.002.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  102. van Baak MA, Mariman ECM. Dietary strategies for weight loss maintenance. Nutrients. 2019;11. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11081916.

  103. Khalesi S, Sun J, Buys N, Jamshidi A, Nikbakht-Nasrabadi E, Khosravi-Boroujeni H. Green tea catechins and blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Eur J Nutr. 2014;53:1299–311. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-014-0720-1.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  104. Liu G, Mi XN, Zheng XX, Xu YL, Lu J, Huang XH. Effects of tea intake on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Br J Nutr. 2014;112:1043–54. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0007114514001731. e-pub ahead of print 2014/08/20.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  105. Onakpoya I, Spencer E, Heneghan C, Thompson M. The effect of green tea on blood pressure and lipid profile: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2014;24:823–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2014.01.016.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  106. Peng X, Zhou R, Wang B, Yu X, Yang X, Liu K, et al. Effect of green tea consumption on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials. Sci Rep. 2014;4:6251. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep06251. e-pub ahead of print 2014/09/02.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  107. Huxley R, Lee CM, Barzi F, Timmermeister L, Czernichow S, Perkovic V, et al. Coffee, decaffeinated coffee, and tea consumption in relation to incident type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169:2053–63. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2009.439.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  108. Odegaard AO, Pereira MA, Koh WP, Arakawa K, Lee HP, Yu MC. Coffee, tea, and incident type 2 diabetes: the Singapore Chinese Health Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008;88:979–85. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/88.4.979. e-pub ahead of print 2008/10/10.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  109. Iso H, Date C, Wakai K, Fukui M, Tamakoshi A, Group JS. The relationship between green tea and total caffeine intake and risk for self-reported type 2 diabetes among Japanese adults. Ann Intern Med. 2006;144:554–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  110. Agrawal SK, Dahal S, Bhumika TV, Nair NS. Evaluating sanitization of toothbrushes using various decontamination methods: a meta-analysis. J Nepal Health Res Counc. 2019;16:364–71. e-pub ahead of print 2019/02/12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  111. Oh CM, Oh IH, Choe BK, Yoon TY, Choi JM, Hwang J. Consuming green tea at least twice each day is associated with reduced odds of chronic obstructive lung disease in middle-aged and older korean adults. J Nutr. 2018;148:70–76. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxx016.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  112. Liu X, Du X, Han G, Gao W. Association between tea consumption and risk of cognitive disorders: a dose-response meta-analysis of observational studies. Oncotarget. 2017;8:43306–21. https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.17429. e-pub ahead of print 2017/05/13.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  113. Yang CS, Lee MJ, Chen L, Yang GY. Polyphenols as inhibitors of carcinogenesis. Environ Health Perspect. 1997;105 Suppl 4:971–6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  114. Yang CS, Wang X, Lu G, Picinich SC. Cancer prevention by tea: animal studies, molecular mechanisms and human relevance. Nat Rev Cancer. 2009;9:429–39. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrc2641.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  115. van Dam RM, Naidoo N, Landberg R. Dietary flavonoids and the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases: review of recent findings. Curr Opin Lipidol. 2013;24:25–33. https://doi.org/10.1097/MOL.0b013e32835bcdff.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  116. Wang H, Provan G, Helliwell K. The functional benefits of flavonoids: the case of tea. In: Johnson I, Williamson G, Editors. Phytochemical funtional foods. Cambridge: Woodhead Publishing; 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  117. Schneider C, Segre T. Green tea: potential health benefits. Am Fam Physician. 2009;79:591–4.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  118. Nagao T, Hase T, Tokimitsu I. A green tea extract high in catechins reduces body fat and cardiovascular risks in humans. Obesity. 2007;15:1473–83. https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2007.176. e-pub ahead of print 2007/06/15.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  119. Zheng XX, Xu YL, Li SH, Liu XX, Hui R, Huang XH. Green tea intake lowers fasting serum total and LDL cholesterol in adults: a meta-analysis of 14 randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011;94:601–10. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.110.010926.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  120. Zheng XX, Xu YL, Li SH, Hui R, Wu YJ, Huang XH. Effects of green tea catechins with or without caffeine on glycemic control in adults: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013;97:750–62. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.111.032573.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  121. Zucchi R, Ronca-Testoni S. The sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ channel/ryanodine receptor: modulation by endogenous effectors, drugs and disease states. Pharmacol Rev. 1997;49:1–51.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  122. Spyridopoulos I, Fichtlscherer S, Popp R, Toennes SW, Fisslthaler B, Trepels T, et al. Caffeine enhances endothelial repair by an AMPK-dependent mechanism. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2008;28:1967–74. https://doi.org/10.1161/ATVBAHA.108.174060.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  123. Yang J, Mao QX, Xu HX, Ma X, Zeng CY. Tea consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis update. BMJ Open. 2014;4:e005632. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2014-005632. e-pub ahead of print 2014/07/24.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  124. Ferreira MA, Silva DM, de Morais AC Jr., Mota JF, Botelho PB. Therapeutic potential of green tea on risk factors for type 2 diabetes in obese adults—a review. Obes Rev. 2016;17:1316–28. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12452.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  125. Ali AT, Hochfeld WE, Myburgh R, Pepper MS. Adipocyte and adipogenesis. Eur J Cell Biol. 2013;92:229–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejcb.2013.06.001.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This study was supported by the National Cancer Center Research and Development Funds (30-A-15).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Prevention, Center for Public Health Sciences, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan

    Sarah Krull Abe & Manami Inoue

Authors
  1. Sarah Krull Abe
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Manami Inoue
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

SKA designed the research, compiled the findings and drafted the manuscript. MI checked the manuscript for intellectual content.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sarah Krull Abe.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Abe, S.K., Inoue, M. Green tea and cancer and cardiometabolic diseases: a review of the current epidemiological evidence. Eur J Clin Nutr 75, 865–876 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-020-00710-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Version of record:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-020-00710-7

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links