Supplements · Metabolic & Cardiometabolic
green tea decreases blood pressure
In plain terms: Does green tea lower blood pressure?
Part of: 🧪 Green tea
A little. Six meta-analyses agree it nudges blood pressure down — but only by about 1–3 points, which is real yet small. A nice habit, not a treatment for high blood pressure.
Evidence ladder
How far up the ladder this claim has climbed. A high consensus on a low rung means "consistent so far," not "proven in people."
Top evidence so far: All trials, pooled (Meta-analysis)
How the studies fall
What the evidence shows
Six independent meta-analyses agree green tea lowers blood pressure, but the effect is SMALL and consistent — roughly 1–3 mmHg systolic — with several flagging low-to-moderate evidence quality and high heterogeneity. Real, but not a substitute for antihypertensive treatment.
The evidence (12)
| Source | Grade | Stance | Quality | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Khalesi S et al. 2014 · Eur J Nutr | meta-analysis | supports | high | Meta 13 RCTs: SBP -2.08 / DBP -1.71 mmHg vs control. |
| Peng X et al. 2014 · Sci Rep | meta-analysis | supports | high | Meta 13 RCTs (n=1,367): SBP -1.98 / DBP -1.92 mmHg. |
| Li G et al. 2015 · J Hypertens | meta-analysis | supports | low | Meta 14 RCTs (overweight/obese): SBP -1.42 / DBP -1.25 mmHg; overall evidence quality graded low. |
| Hartley L et al. 2013 · Cochrane Database Syst Rev | meta-analysis | supports | high | Cochrane 7 green-tea RCTs: SBP -3.18/DBP -3.42 mmHg (not stable to sensitivity analysis). |
| Xu R et al. 2020 · Medicine (Baltimore) | meta-analysis | supports | moderate | Meta 24 RCTs (n=1,697): SBP -1.17 / DBP -1.24 mmHg; significant heterogeneity. |
| Ghoflchi S et al. 2025 · Clin Ther | meta-analysis | tested-null | moderate | In metabolic syndrome: no significant overall SBP/DBP change; benefit only in women subgroup. |
| Liu G et al. 2014 · Br J Nutr | meta-analysis | supports | moderate | Meta 25 RCTs: green tea SBP -2.1/DBP -1.7 mmHg (long-term >=12 wk). |
| Mahdavi-Roshan M et al. 2020 · Complement Ther Med | meta-analysis | supports | moderate | Meta 5 RCTs: SBP -4.81/DBP -1.98 mmHg in elevated-BP adults (green/black tea). |
| Yarmolinsky J et al. 2015 · Nutr Rev | meta-analysis | supports | moderate | Meta 10 RCTs: SBP -2.36/DBP -1.77 mmHg in pre/hypertensives (green/black tea). |
| Onakpoya I et al. 2014 · Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis | meta-analysis | supports | high | Meta 20 RCTs (n=1536): SBP -1.94 mmHg; no significant DBP. |
| Yildirim Ayaz E et al. 2023 · Altern Ther Health Med | meta-analysis | supports | moderate | Meta 9 RCTs (healthy adults): SBP -2.99 / DBP -0.95 mmHg, zero heterogeneity. |
| Rezaei S et al. 2025 · Blood Press | meta-analysis | supports | moderate | Dose-response meta 36 RCTs: SBP -1.08 / DBP -1.09 mmHg; high heterogeneity (I2=85%), no clear dose-response. |
Disagree, or know a study we missed?
We grade by evidence, not opinions. The way to weigh in is to point us to a study we haven't cited (check the evidence table above first), or to flag a problem with one we have. Every submission is reviewed; if it holds up, the grade updates and shows in Science Changes Its Mind.
Opens a short form. You'll sign in with Google so submissions are tied to a real account — we don't display your identity, and we only accept a link we can verify (PubMed, DOI, ClinicalTrials.gov).
Educational only, not medical advice. Grades and scores reflect published evidence weighted by study design and quality; see the methodology.