Green tea extract reduces the heart load

Green tea extract is a popular supplement for weight loss and also improves vascular health and blood sugar regulation. It's not a magic bullet that improves metabolic health in one fell swoop, but it does help.
Scientists speculate that chemicals called catechins - specifically epigallocatechin-3-gallate - found in this supplement help improve metabolic health, fight free radical formation and reduce body fat. Green tea extract improves the health of the endothelium (the inner lining of the veins), reducing resistance to blood flow and therefore blood pressure.
A study conducted at the University of Padova in Italy, led by Italia Papparella, showed that green tea extract reduced blood pressure and prevented heart enlargement in rats by reducing free radical metabolism. Free radicals are highly reactive chemicals that are naturally produced during metabolic processes in the body and have been linked to the aging process, immune system breakdown, heart disease and cancer.
Other studies found that green tea extract slowed cell death in cell cultures and promoted recovery after a heart attack or stroke. An 11-year study of more than 40,000 Japanese adults found that people who drank the most green tea had a reduced mortality rate from all causes of death and cardiovascular disease compared to people who did not drink green tea. Green tea extract appears to be an excellent supplement for promoting metabolic health that also accelerates weight loss.
(Journal Nutrition, 138: 1596-1601, 2008; American Journal Clinical Nutrition, 87: 778-784, 2008)