Does Green Tea interact with any drugs?

Drug interactions with green tea can include certain blood pressure medicines, statin cholesterol-lowering treatments, and warfarin, an anticoagulant (blood thinner) used to help prevent blood clots.

Overview

Green tea is a popular drink that originated in China and has been promoted for stomach disorders, to lower cholesterol, as an antioxidant, as a stimulant, and to lessen belly fat, among other uses. In the U.S., it has gained recent popularity due to claims it can boost metabolism and aid in weight loss.

To date, 12 drug interactions have been reported with green tea. For example,

Patients should be advised to limit their consumption of green tea and green tea extracts during treatment with lisinopril.

• These products have been reported to lower blood levels of the ACE inhibitor lisinopril (Prinivil, Qbrelis, Zestril) which could lead to an increase in blood pressure

Dried green tea leaves contain vitamin K, which can increase blood clotting. Large amounts of vitamin K may interfere with the activity of some blood thinners.

• A substantial decrease in the INR (a measure of blood clotting) has been reported in a patient treated with warfarin after he began consuming large quantities (1/2 to 1 gallon daily) of green tea.
• Patients treated with should probably avoid large amounts of green tea as it can interfere with the blood-thinning capabilities of warfarin.

Statins like atorvastatin, rosuvastatin or simvastatin are used to lower cholesterol. These statins have been noted to have an interaction with green tea that may lead to increased levels of the cholesterol medicine in some patients.

• This could cause serious side effects like severe muscle tissue breakdown (rhabdomyolysis) or liver toxicity.
• It may be advisable to avoid excessive consumption of green tea and green tea products during treatment with simvastatin.

This is not complete list of all possible drug interactions with Green Tea, and some interactions may not have been reported. For more information, see:

• Related: Drug Interactions with Green Tea (in more detail)

This is not all the information you need to know about Green Tea for safe and effective use and does not take the place of your doctor’s directions. Review the full product information and discuss this information and any questions you have with your doctor or other health care provider.

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