An Investigation of the Effect of Green Tea on Liver Enzymes and Serum Lipid Profiles in Patients with Beta–Thalassemia Major

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: In patients with beta – thalassemia major, iron overload and oxidative stress cause metabolic disorders, especially in the liver. Green tea may be beneficial in reducing the complications of this disease due to the iron chelation and antioxidant properties. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the effect of green tea on liver enzymes and serum lipid profiles in these patients.  METHODS: This randomized clinical trial was performed on 52 patients with beta – thalassemia major in two groups of controls and intervention (26 people in each group). Patients in the intervention group received 3 cups of green tea for 8 weeks and the control group consumed the same amount of boiled water each day for the same period. The assessment of dietary intake, AST and ALT, total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-C and HDL-C, and height and weight measurements were performed at the beginning and the end of the study. FINDINGS: Significant decrease in the levels of ALT enzymes (p<0.0001, 38.8±4.8 U/L) and AST (p<0.007, 39.53±11.01 U/L) and serum triglyceride (p<0.0001, 135.03±31.82 mg/dl) compared to baseline values (42.53±5.26 U/L, 43.46±9.7 U/L, 150.35±33.34 mg/dl) was observed in the green tea group. The consumption of green tea resulted in a significant reduction in total serum cholesterol levels at the end of the study in the intervention group compared with the control group (p=0.006). CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that green tea consumption reduced levels of liver enzymes, triglycerides and especially total serum cholesterol in patients with beta – thalassemia major