Green tea extract may be harmful to liver in patients with certain genetic variations
- last year
According to a study, long-term consumption of high-dose green tea extract may offer some protection against cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes, but it may also cause liver damage in a small number of people.
The research team investigated whether people with certain genetic variations were more likely than others to show signs of liver stress after a year of ingesting 843 milligrams per day of the predominant antioxidant in green tea, a catechin called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).
An analysis by researchers showed that early signs of liver damage were somewhat more common than normal in women with one variation in the Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genotype and strongly predicted by a variation in the uridine 5'-diphospho-glucuronosyltransferase 1A4 (UGT1A4) genotype.
On average, participants with the high-risk UGT1A4 genotype saw the enzyme that indicates liver stress go up nearly 80 percent after nine months of consuming the green tea supplement, while those with low-risk genotypes saw the same enzyme go up 30 percent.
The research team investigated whether people with certain genetic variations were more likely than others to show signs of liver stress after a year of ingesting 843 milligrams per day of the predominant antioxidant in green tea, a catechin called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).
An analysis by researchers showed that early signs of liver damage were somewhat more common than normal in women with one variation in the Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genotype and strongly predicted by a variation in the uridine 5'-diphospho-glucuronosyltransferase 1A4 (UGT1A4) genotype.
On average, participants with the high-risk UGT1A4 genotype saw the enzyme that indicates liver stress go up nearly 80 percent after nine months of consuming the green tea supplement, while those with low-risk genotypes saw the same enzyme go up 30 percent.