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Green Tea Extract Liver Damage: Reports, Risk and Context
Green tea extract liver damage is uncommon but documented. NIH LiverTox calls the extract a well-established cause of clinically apparent liver injury, with more than 100 cases reported. Drinking green tea has not been linked to it. Payarmin lists green tea extract seventh in its blend, at no more than 29 mg per 1 mL.
Written by the Payarmin label deskUpdated · 4 min read
The reports01
How common is green tea extract liver damage?
It is uncommon, but it is real. LiverTox gives green tea extract its top likelihood score, A, meaning a well-established cause of clinically apparent liver injury (NIH LiverTox, Green tea).
More than 100 cases have been reported. Onset is usually 1 to 6 months after starting, most people recover after stopping, and fatal acute liver failure has been described (NIH LiverTox, Green tea). NCCIH also calls liver injury uncommon (NCCIH, Green tea).
How often it happens with symptoms or jaundice is unknown (NIH LiverTox, Green tea).
| Drinking green tea | Not associated with liver injury |
|---|---|
| Concentrated extract | Well-established cause, rare per user |
| Usual onset | 1 to 6 months after starting |
| Linked to | Catechins, especially EGCG |
| Doses in case reports | About 800 mg to 1.86 g of extract a day |
Who is at risk02
Who should be careful with green tea extract?
People with a certain immune-related gene variant seem most susceptible. NCCIH says that is 5 to 15 percent of Americans (NCCIH, Green tea), and LiverTox ties the variant HLA-B*35:01 to an immune mechanism (NIH LiverTox, Green tea).
In one prospective study, liver enzyme ALT rose in 6.7 percent of extract users against 0.7 percent of controls (NIH LiverTox, Green tea).
Most people will not know their variant. That is why a clinician should hear about any extract you take, especially with existing liver disease or medicines. NCCIH notes extract reduced blood levels of atorvastatin and that high doses reduced nadolol (NCCIH, Green tea). Keep taking prescribed medicine while you ask.
On the Payarmin label03
How much green tea extract is in Payarmin?
The label does not say. Green tea leaf extract is 7th of 22 blend lines, so it holds at most 29 mg per 1 mL (200 divided by 7).
Our arithmetic: 29 mg is about one twenty-eighth of 800 mg, the low end of doses in case reports. With two droppers a day, which is a guess because the dropper size is unprinted, the ceiling doubles to 58 mg.
That comparison is not a safety finding. The real amount is hidden, extract strength differs between products, and the sources describe cases, not thresholds. Payarmin has no liver safety trial, and its lab reports are not published.
See the green tea page for more.
Payarmin: from $49 a bottle30 mL drops · 2, 3 or 6 bottles · free shipping on 3 or 6 · 60-day guarantee
See packsIf something feels off04
What should you do about yellow skin or eyes?
Stop the supplement and call a clinician the same day. Jaundice, the yellowing of skin or eyes, is the symptom named in the sources (NIH LiverTox, Green tea).
Bring the bottle. The side effects page explains how to report a reaction.
FAQ05
Green tea and liver questions
Is drinking green tea bad for the liver?
No link was found. LiverTox says drinking green tea has not been associated with liver injury. The concern is concentrated extract, where catechins such as EGCG are far more concentrated than in a cup.
How soon can extract-related liver injury appear?
LiverTox says onset is typically 1 to 6 months after starting, usually as acute hepatitis. Most people recover after stopping, though fatal liver failure has been described.
Does green tea extract affect medicines?
NCCIH says extract reduced blood levels of atorvastatin and high doses reduced nadolol. It advises talking to a provider before using green tea supplements if you take any medicine.
Does green tea extract have caffeine?
Green tea contains caffeine, per NCCIH, and it passes into breast milk. The Payarmin label prints no caffeine amount, so we cannot give a figure for the drops.
Who wrote this06
Written and reviewed by
Pages built from the label, the sales page and linked NIH, FDA, CDC, FTC and peer-reviewed sources.
Last updated . Read our editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is run by Gopayarmin, a Payarmin U.S. shop, not by the manufacturer or the distributor. We earn money when you buy through our order links.
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