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Review
. 2023 Mar 16;15(6):1439.
doi: 10.3390/nu15061439.

Green Tea and Benign Gynecologic Disorders: A New Trick for An Old Beverage?

Dana Hazimeh  1 , Gaelle Massoud  1 , Maclaine Parish  1 , Bhuchitra Singh  1 , James Segars  1 , Md Soriful Islam  1
Affiliations
Review

Green Tea and Benign Gynecologic Disorders: A New Trick for An Old Beverage?

Dana Hazimeh et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Green tea is harvested from the tea plant Camellia sinensis and is one of the most widely consumed beverages worldwide. It is richer in antioxidants than other forms of tea and has a uniquely high content of polyphenolic compounds known as catechins. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the major green tea catechin, has been studied for its potential therapeutic role in many disease contexts, including pathologies of the female reproductive system. As both a prooxidant and antioxidant, EGCG can modulate many cellular pathways important to disease pathogenesis and thus has clinical benefits. This review provides a synopsis of the current knowledge on the beneficial effects of green tea in benign gynecological disorders. Green tea alleviates symptom severity in uterine fibroids and improves endometriosis through anti-fibrotic, anti-angiogenic, and pro-apoptotic mechanisms. Additionally, it can reduce uterine contractility and improve the generalized hyperalgesia associated with dysmenorrhea and adenomyosis. Although its role in infertility is controversial, EGCG can be used as a symptomatic treatment for menopause, where it decreases weight gain and osteoporosis, as well as for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Keywords: EGCG; adenomyosis; dysmenorrhea; endometriosis; fibroids; green tea; infertility; menopause; polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

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Conflict of interest statement

D.H. has nothing to disclose. G.M. has nothing to disclose. M.P. has nothing to disclose. B.S. has nothing to disclose. J.S. was a PI for the research sponsored by Bayer, Abbvie, and Myovant. M.S.I. has nothing to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Chemical composition of green tea.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mechanisms of action of EGCG.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Possible actions of EGCG in dysmenorrhea. (A) Progesterone and prostaglandin concentrations are inversely related. During menses, a fall in progesterone activity stimulates the COX pathway to begin synthesizing prostaglandins. (B) A mechanistic scheme of the effects of NSAIDs and EGCG on the regulation of prostaglandin concentrations. Here, prostaglandin concentration is directly correlated with pain. ↓ = downregulation.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Schematic presentation of the effects of green tea on uterine fibroids.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Schematic presentation of the possible roles and mechanisms of green tea in endometriosis. ↓ = downregulation; ↑ = upregulation.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Schematic presentation of possible benefits of green tea in PCOS. ↓ = downregulation; ↑ = upregulation.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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