FDA Rejects Green Tea Health Claims
The petition, filed July 28, 2005 by Japanese-based Ito En, Ltd., a leading manufacture and importer of green tea products, requested FDA approval of the following health claim:
"Daily consumption of at least 5 fluid ounces (150 mL) of green tea as a source of catechins may reduce a number of risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease. FDA has determined that the evidence is supportive, but not conclusive, for this claim. (Green tea provides 125 mg catechins per serving when brewed from tea and 125 mg catechins as a pre-prepared beverage).”
In a letter to Ito En denying their petition, the FDA states its finding that “there is no credible scientific evidence to support qualified health claims about consumption of green tea or green tea extract and a reduction of a number of risk factors associated with CVD.”
After reviewing nearly 150 scientific studies on green tea, the FDA found the data "not credible to support the relationship between consumption of green tea or green tea extract and a reduced risk of CVD."
The FDA’s action does not imply that green tea is dangerous or unhealthful; merely that it did not find scientific evidence that green tea reduces the risk of CVD. In 2005, the FDA rejected a similar petition claiming that green tea reduced the risk of cancer.
Also See: The Miracle of Green Tea
Comments
since when do any of us believe what the F.D.A. says?
Though green tea is high in antioxidants, it’s also very high in tannins, an element very hard on the digestive system and is easily oxidized which can turn into tannic acid.
In Dr. Hiromi Shinya’s book, “The Enzyme Factor,” on pages 11 & 12, he explains why green tea and all teas are very hard on the stomach lining and that with regular drinking of tea the stomach lining can virtually waste away and become chronic gastritis which can easily become stomach cancer.
Bottom line, the antioxidant factor, as good and as high as it may be, are not strong enough to counteract the multiple negative factors.