Grüner Tee – Daten und Studien zur chinesischen und westlichen Wirkung

Green tea (Camellia sinensis) is a type of unfermented tea that largely retains the natural substance of fresh leaves. It is the second most popular beverage in the world after water. This article examines its historical and contemporary significance and presents some relevant studies. It also describes the ingredients of green tea as well as discussing the physiological and pharmacological effects, relevant side-effects or interactions and possible toxicologies according to their clinical relevance. Studies have shown that the tea polyphenols, with the catechins as the main representatives, have the greatest clinical significance and are pharmacologically active in a variety of ways. Studies have also demonstrated that green tea has antioxidant, anticancer, antibacterial, antiviral, hypoglycemic, cardiovascular and neuroprotective effects. Toxic effects such as hepatotoxicity are very rare and occur mainly at very high doses of green-tea extract and/or in connection with relevant pre-existing conditions or interactions. In summary, studies carried out to date show that green tea and green-tea extracts have an evidence-based efficacy, especially in health care and disease prevention, but they are also increasingly being used successfully in therapeutic applications.