Green Tea Supports Digestive Health, but May Interact with Medications

Green tea is widely enjoyed for its health benefits, and research suggests it may play a positive role in digestive health. Drinking green tea can help regulate bowel movements, reduce digestive tract inflammation, support a healthy gut microbiome, and lower the risk of colon cancer.

How Green Tea Influences Bowel Movements

Many people find that drinking green tea every day helps them have more regular bowel movements. The exact reasons are still being studied, but several factors may be responsible. Green tea contains caffeine, which stimulates the digestive tract and can prompt bowel movements in a way similar to coffee. The beverage also contributes to hydration, which helps prevent constipation by making bowel movements easier and more frequent. Additionally, green tea contains L-theanine, a compound shown to reduce stress, and since stress is a common trigger for constipation, drinking green tea may make it easier to go to the bathroom.

Additional Digestive Health Benefits

Decreases Inflammation in the Digestive Tract  

Green tea contains catechins, which have anti-inflammatory properties. Research has found that people who drank green tea as part of their preparation for a colonoscopy experienced less nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain compared to those who did not. A greater number of participants completed their bowel preparation successfully in the green tea group, possibly due to these anti-inflammatory effects. Scientists also believe green tea may help reduce inflammation for people with conditions like ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, though further research is needed.

Reduces Starch Digestion  

Green tea may slow the digestion of starches—complex carbohydrates that the body breaks down into sugars. While some starches are healthy, many highly processed starchy foods can spike blood sugar. Studies show that Green Tea Extract can significantly reduce starch digestion and absorption, although the effects are less pronounced with a standard cup of green tea.

Positively Alters the Gut Microbiome  

Drinking green tea can influence the gut microbiome—the community of microorganisms living in the digestive tract. Green tea encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria while curbing less desirable species. Some of green tea’s health benefits may come from the way these changes in the microbiome and resulting bacterial byproducts affect the body.

Lowers Colon Cancer Risk  

There is some evidence that green tea may help lower the risk of colorectal cancer. Both animal and small human studies show that polyphenols in green tea possess anti-cancer properties, likely related to changes in the microbiome of the mouth and digestive tract.

Potential Drawbacks and Medication Interactions

While green tea offers many digestive health benefits, it may interfere with the absorption of certain medications. For example, drinking green tea can limit the intestine’s ability to absorb Corgard (nadolol), a medication used to treat high blood pressure and angina. Other drugs that may be less effective when combined with green tea include Crestor (rosuvastatin), Prograf (tacrolimus), Jantoven (warfarin), and Zocor (simvastatin). People taking these or similar medications should talk to their healthcare provider before regularly consuming green tea.

In summary, green tea can improve digestion and support gut health, but individuals taking certain prescription medications should use caution and consult their doctor.