Green tea may reduce liver toxicity after supplementation
The rise of high-dose green tea extracts, a popular remedy for weight loss, comes with potential risks of liver toxicity stemming from consuming quantities equivalent to up to 16 cups of tea. A new animal study from Penn State found that drinking green tea weeks before taking the high-dose supplements might reduce these negative effects. Following the consumption of high doses of EGCG green tea extract, mice pretreated with low doses of green tea showed a 75% reduction in liver toxicity compared to untreated mice, suggesting a decreasing sensitivity to such dietary supplements. That said, authors of the study recommend drinking green tea rather than taking green tea supplements to avoid the risk of liver toxicity altogether.