The Effect of Green Tea and Sour Tea on Oxidative Stress, Blood Pressure, and Body Mass Index in Male Athletes with Cardiovascular Diseases Prevention Approach

Today, oxidative stress is one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Various studies have reported a strong association between increased consumption of plant flavonoids and reduced risk of chronic diseases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of green tea and sour tea on serum malondialdehyde (MDA), blood pressure, and body mass index (BMI) in male athletes.
In this study, 54 male athletes who met the inclusion criteria were selected and randomly divided into 3 groups using ternary block randomization. The first, second, and control groups, respectively, received 450 mg/d of green tea extract, 450 mg/d sour tea extract, and 450 mg/d maltodextrin. The serum MDA, blood pressure, and BMI of the subjects were measured at the beginning of and 6 weeks after the study.
Findings: Sour tea extract and green tea extract significantly reduced serum MDA level compared to placebo (P = 0.008). ýHowever, only sour tea extract significantly reduced systolic blood pressure (P 0.001). Neither of the extracts had a significant effect on diastolic blood pressure, weight, and BMI.
This study showed that green tea and sour tea extract consumption can decrease oxidative stress, and thus, reduce the risk of CVD in male athletes.