Green Tea Extract & Fibroids

Can Green Tea Help With Fibroids?

If you're here, you've probably heard somewhere online that green tea can help with Fibroids. Well, the science to support the benefits of plants is still emerging. Green tea has many health benefits, and a lot of them come down to the main antioxidant within green tea.

Research suggests that green tea extract, particularly its active compound EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), may help reduce fibroid size and improve symptoms in some women. However, the current evidence comes from a relatively small number of clinical studies, and larger, high-quality trials are still needed before EGCG can be recommended as a standard treatment.

The science - EGCG

EGCG is a naturally occurring antioxidant (catechin) found in green tea. Laboratory studies and early clinical trials suggest it may help slow fibroid growth and improve symptoms, although researchers are still investigating exactly how effective it is in different groups of women.

Laboratory studies suggest EGCG may slow the growth of fibroid cells and encourage apoptosis (programmed cell death). Whether these cellular effects translate into the same level of benefit for all women in clinical practice remains under investigation.

Some of the early clinical trials have found that women reported a reduction in their bleeding, pain and improved haemoglobin (blood) levels. However, these studies were generally small and followed women for only a few months, so more research is needed to understand the long-term benefits and safety of treatment.

Green Tea as a Drink

There are lots of proven benefits for swapping black tea for green tea, mostly because of the overall antioxidants in green tea;

• lower caffeine levels
• antioxidants (EGCG)
• amino acid L-theanine (can help metabolism, brain function and protects cell)
• helps heart health
• anti-ageing properties
• less anxiety associated effects seen with regular caffeine drinks (black tea, coffee)

However, it's important to distinguish between drinking green tea and taking concentrated green tea extract supplements. Most of the fibroid research has used standardised EGCG supplements at doses that would be difficult to achieve through drinking green tea alone.

Caffeine & Fibroids

Caffeine can often cause problems for physical and emotional health, and lowering caffeine levels has many health benefits. For women struggling with PMS, high caffeine can exacerbate anxiety symptoms.

Caffeine may influence hormone metabolism in some women, although the effects appear to be small and vary between individuals. Researchers are still investigating whether these hormonal changes have any meaningful impact on fibroid development.

Some studies suggest that(though evidence is not 100% guaranteed yet) that high caffeine intake (more than the recommended 1-2 cups of coffee or 3-4 cups of tea) could increase the risk of developing fibroids, or even make the pain associated with them worse.

Research looking at caffeine and fibroids has produced mixed results. While some observational studies have suggested that very high caffeine intake may be associated with an increased risk of fibroids in certain populations, other studies have found little or no association. Overall, there is currently no strong evidence that moderate caffeine intake causes fibroids to develop or makes existing fibroids grow.

The science behind this is because caffeine can increase oestrogen levels, can affect blood vessels making cramps worse. However these studies have explored significantly high intake of caffeine, and so there is no noticeable risk of caffeine taken at an appropriate level and fibroids.

How to Take Green Tea Extract

The dose of EGCG required to have effect is much greater than what is usually found in a cup of green tea. These are recommended doses and methods studies have shown to have potential benefit.

TYPE Green tea extract is available in many different forms, some have more polyphenols, but it is the catechins which is the EGCG needed for fibroid benefit. It is important to check the dose/concentration of EGCG, not simply a green tea extract.

These are often available as capsules or bulk powders that can be mixed with smoothies and drinks.

DOSE The recommended dose associated with scientifically proven benefit is 800mg/day of green tea extract.

One early clinical trial investigating fibroids used a daily dose of 800 mg of green tea extract (containing approximately 45% EGCG) over four months. This dose should not be interpreted as a general recommended daily intake, and the optimal dose for women with fibroids has not yet been established.

Other benefits: Some studies have begun to show that combining Green Tea Extract EGCG with other compounds, like Vitamin D and Vitamin B6 can have an even greater effect on fibroid shrinkage, particularly the intramural fibroids.

Some small studies have investigated EGCG alongside nutrients such as vitamin D (and in some studies vitamin B6 or D-chiro-inositol). These combination therapies showed encouraging results, but because several ingredients were used together, it isn't possible to determine how much of the observed benefit was due to EGCG alone. Larger clinical trials are needed to confirm these findings

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER

Although green tea is generally considered safe as a drink, concentrated green tea extract supplements are much stronger. Rare cases of liver injury have been reported with high-dose green tea extract supplements, particularly when taken on an empty stomach or at very high doses. If you have liver disease, are pregnant, are taking prescription medicines, or develop symptoms such as yellowing of the skin, dark urine or severe nausea, stop taking the supplement and seek medical advice. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions and speak to your healthcare professional before starting any new supplement.

Never consume more than the recommended dose, taking more doesn't mean improving the benefit. Many supplements and vitamins can cause harm when taking higher than the recommended dose. It is always important to check there is no interaction with existing medications you have been prescribed.

The information provided is intended to inform and educate women with Fibroids only,  it is not a substitute for the professional judgment of a healthcare professional in diagnosing and treating Fibroids.  

References

• https://www.contemporaryobgyn.net/view/vitamin-d-and-green-tea-extract-for-treatment-of-uterine-fibroids
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3742155/
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10054707/
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9256340/
• https://www.nichd.nih.gov/newsroom/news/080723-uterine-fibroids-green-tea