The suspicion that green tea extract (or Camelia sinensis) , combined with other substances in weight loss supplements, could give serious side effects, has been felt for some time, following severe liver damage encountered by consumers of natural supplements for weight loss, especially in pills.  Liver damage that in some cases led to liver transplant surgery , in others even to death from intoxication ( here and here some cases I talked about in Dcomedieta).

Now, however, experts seem to have found confirmations around green tea extract , the ingredient in common to many weight loss supplements that had caused health problems: high concentrations of green tea extract are linked to liver drug intoxication problems. (DILI), this is due to catechins, antioxidant substances that are beneficial for the body, but not in high doses. Additionally, green tea extract may adversely affect drug intake, reducing its effectiveness, and blood pressure ( study ).

Consumer Reports has included green tea extract among the 15 dangerous substances to be taken in supplement form (including Kava, caffeine extract, fermented red rice), as well as ineffective for weight loss and / or the reduction of some pathologies related to the metabolic syndrome (hypercholesterolemia, for example). Let’s be clear: we are not talking about green tea itself, which can therefore be drunk (without exaggerating, maximum two cups a day), but about green tea extract , which contains higher concentrations in order to promote weight loss.