How Much Green Tea Should You Drink Per Day?

Green tea is a popular beverage consumed worldwide.

In recent years, it has also gained popularity as a health drink.

Green tea is derived from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant and comes in several varieties.

Green Tea Is Linked to Many Health Benefits

Green tea is loaded with nutrients and plant compounds that can have positive health effects.

This includes potent antioxidants called catechins, which may help protect against cancer.

In fact, multiple studies show that people who drink green tea are significantly less likely to get many types of cancer, compared to those who don’t drink it.

The cancers that green tea may help protect against include prostate and breast cancer, which are the two most common cancers in men and women, respectively

And drinking green tea may even help you lose weight.

How Much Green Tea Is Optimal?

Studies that explore the benefits of green tea show conflicting evidence about exactly how much you should drink each day.

Some studies show health benefits in people who drink as little as one cup per day, while other studies deem five or more cups per day to be optimal .

Green tea may help lower the risk of several diseases. However, the optimal amount to drink may depend on the disease.

Oral cancer: In a large observational study, women who drank three to four cups of green tea daily were the least likely to develop oral cancer .
Prostate cancer: A large observational study found that men who drank five or more cups of green tea daily had a lower risk of developing prostate cancer, compared to those who drank less than one cup per day .
Stomach cancer: Another large observational study showed a reduced risk of stomach cancer in women who consumed five or more cups of green tea per day
Breast cancer: Two observational studies showed reduced recurrences of breast cancer in women who drank more than three cups of green tea daily .
Pancreatic cancer: One observational study found that drinking five or more cups of green tea per day was linked to a decreased risk of pancreatic cancer .
Diabetes: In a retrospective observational study, people who consumed six or more cups of green tea daily had a 33% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, compared to those who consumed less than one cup per week.
Heart disease: An analysis of nine studies found that people who consumed one to three cups of green tea daily had a lower risk of heart attack and stroke, compared to those who drank less than one cup