The catechins found in green tea may benefit arthritis patients by reducing the degradation of cartilage, according to an in vitro study conducted at the University of Sheffield Medical School in the UK.

The researchers studied bovine and human cartilage samples, which were cultured with and without reagents known to accelerate cartilage breakdown, and then catechins were added to the mix.

They found that catechins, and particularly those containing a gallate ester, effectively prevented collagen breakdown. Furthermore, no toxic effects were noted. The adjusted odds ratio for high consumption compared to irregular consumption was 0. The odds ratio for non-tea consumers was increased, but not statistically significant adjOR 1.

This association was strongest among current smokers, for whom high tea consumption reduced the odds of developing RA by almost half compared to irregular tea drinkers. However, the observed inverse association among the no tea consumers compared to irregular tea consumers was not confirmed in the sensitivity analyses, thus suggesting that this result might have been affected by bias due to misclassification in our main analysis.

Previous studies on tea consumption and the risk of developing RA have found conflicting results. A case-control study, also with a limited number of cases and controls, showed no association between tea and inflammatory polyarthritis [ 13 ], while another case-control study showed an inverse association between green tea consumption and RA [ 14 ].

The three cohort studies with conflicting results have all been conducted in the USA using a similar design. However, tea consumption varies not only between, but also within countries and across cultures, which highlights the difficulty of studying these modifiable dietary factors.

The heterogeneity of the studies, and the small sample size, was further discussed by Lee et al. in a meta-analysis, with the conclusion that further studies were needed [ 15 ].

Our present study, the so-far largest case-control study on tea consumption in RA, contributes to this literature with data on tea consumption for over RA cases. All kinds of tea are rich in polyphenols, but depending on the degree of fermentation, the type of polyphenol varies.

Green tea is rich in the polyphenol group called catechins, such as epigallocatechingallate EGCG , and several studies on EGCG have shown an inverse association between tea consumption and the risk and progression of RA [ 18 ].

Moreover, the antioxidant properties of the polyphenols have been shown to be associated with a decreased risk of RA [ 21 , 22 ]. In our present study, tea consumption was particularly associated with a decreased risk of RA among smokers and in the ACPA-positive subset of RA.

Interestingly, previous studies have showed that flavonoids can decrease the risk of overall mortality and cancer, particularly among smokers. Although the biological mechanism behind this association is yet unclear, it is of interest to note that this observation is in line with the findings in our present study [ 23 , 24 ].

The restriction of the potential protective effects to the ACPA-positive subset of RA might indicate that high tea consumption had a preferential effect on the adaptive immune response [ 25 ]. Its baseline questionnaire contains extensive questions about several environmental factors, making it possible to account for many potential confounders.

However, our study has also some limitations. There was a large percentage of missing for tea consumption. To account for this, we assumed that most, if not all, of them corresponded to a no tea consumption, based on several factors. It is reasonable to assume that some participants might have filled in the FFQ for only the items that were consumed, leaving the others blank.

This hypothesis was also supported by the very limited proportion of patients that did fill in all the variables 2. To overcome this ascertainment limitation, we instead used irregular tea consumption as a reference.

Our sensitivity analyses showed the results for regular vs. irregular drinkers to be robust. However, it also suggested that the no consumption category might have been affected by some bias, thus refraining us from drawing a conclusion about those participants.

Another limitation of this study is the possibility of recall bias, due to the case-control design based on self-report.

However, we do not believe that recall bias has influenced the amount of missing, since the percentage was similar among cases As recommendations on tea consumption are not available in RA and tea consumption after RA diagnosis is unlikely to change [ 27 ] and the EIRA questionnaire also is filled in during the immediate weeks after diagnosis, we do not believe reverse causation affects our results.

This assumption is strengthened by the fact that the inverse association between high tea consumption and risk for RA was seen only in the ACPA-positive subset of RA and the fact that included individuals did not know their ACPA status when answering the questionnaires.

Furthermore, the proportion of people reporting consumption of herbal tea was low, and this estimate might thus be unreliable. However, it should be noted that the proportion of participants that reported tea consumption was indeed in line with sales statistics for tea in Sweden.

This study showed an inverse association with the risk of RA among high tea consumers compared to irregular consumers among smokers and in the ACPA-positive subset of RA. We could not draw any conclusion about no tea consumption and the risk of RA, due to the possibility of bias.

Due to the content of the ethical approval and consents, data from EIRA cannot be publicly shared. Please contact the principal investigators for data requests for applicable studies. Alamanos Y, Voulgari PV, Drosos AA.

Incidence and prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis, based on the American College of Rheumatology criteria: a systematic review. Semin Arthritis Rheum.

Article PubMed Google Scholar. Aletaha D, Smolen JS. Diagnosis and management of rheumatoid arthritis: a review. Article Google Scholar. Frisell T, Saevarsdottir S, Askling J. Family history of rheumatoid arthritis: an old concept with new developments.

Nat Rev Rheumatol. Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar. Scott IC, Tan R, Stahl D, Steer S, Lewis CM, Cope AP. The protective effect of alcohol on developing rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Rheumatology Oxford. Article CAS Google Scholar. Gioxari A, Kaliora AC, Marantidou F, Panagiotakos DP. Intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Johansson K, Askling J, Alfredsson L. Di Giuseppe D, group Es: Mediterranean diet and risk of rheumatoid arthritis: a population-based case-control study. Arthritis Res Ther. Article CAS PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar.

Hu Y, Costenbader KH, Gao X, Hu FB, Karlson EW, Lu B. Mediterranean diet and incidence of rheumatoid arthritis in women. Arthritis Care Res Hoboken. Cutolo M, Nikiphorou E. RMD Open. Gorzynik-Debicka M, Przychodzen P, Cappello F, Kuban-Jankowska A, Marino Gammazza A, Knap N, et al.

Potential health benefits of olive oil and plant polyphenols. Int J Mol Sci. Karlson EW, Mandl LA, Aweh GN, Grodstein F. Coffee consumption and risk of rheumatoid arthritis.

Arthritis Rheum. Mikuls TR, Cerhan JR, Criswell LA, Merlino L, Mudano AS, Burma M, et al. Lamichhane D, Collins C, Constantinescu F, Walitt B, Pettinger M, Parks C, et al.

J Clin Rheumatol. Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar. Pattison DJ, Symmons DP, Lunt M, Welch A, Luben R, Bingham SA, et al. Dietary risk factors for the development of inflammatory polyarthritis: evidence for a role of high level of red meat consumption. Rambod M, Nazarinia M, Raieskarimian F.

The impact of dietary habits on the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis: a case-control study. Clin Rheumatol. Lee YH, Bae SC, Song GG. Coffee or tea consumption and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis: a meta-analysis.

Stolt P, Bengtsson C, Nordmark B, Lindblad S, Lundberg I, Klareskog L, et al. Quantification of the influence of cigarette smoking on rheumatoid arthritis: results from a population based case-control study, using incident cases. Ann Rheum Dis. Hansson LM, Galanti MR.

Both conditions result in pain and discomfort. So, arthritis boils down to joint pain, and there have been studies showing that green tea helps ease it by addressing cholesterol and body fat issues. According to research, the catechins a kind of natural phenol or chemical that protects plants from disease in green tea decrease body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, body fat mass, and subcutaneous fat.

So, how does this relate to joint pain? While studies show that it is not the wear and tear brought forth by excess weight that causes joint pain, they indicate that those fat cells lead to inflammation.

Green tea has epigallocatechingallate, or EGCG, a catechin or type of antioxidant that also acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. It is capable of stopping inflammatory activity through many different chemical pathways.

This compound is essentially the main source of most of the health and medicinal benefits derived from green tea. Green tea has another anti-inflammatory catechin called epicatechingallate, or EGC.

EGCG has received more research focus than EGC since it appears to be the more potent compound. It is also better absorbed and used by the body. Additionally, when it comes to green tea, EGCG is also the more dominant compound, accounting for 63 percent of the total amount of its catechins.

Autoimmune arthritis works differently from osteoarthritis, even though it results in the same pain and stiffness.

So, in terms of rheumatoid arthritis, joint damage is caused by immune system cells overproducing fibroblasts. These fibroblasts influence other immune cells to get into the joint cartilage and destroy it.

In a study with rodents, green tea demonstrated the ability to lower levels of these fibroblast-producing immune system cells. Meanwhile, in a study with human tissues, both EGCG and EGC were shown to inhibit the activity of these immune system cells.

Frisell T, Saevarsdottir S, Askling J. Family history of rheumatoid arthritis: an old concept with new developments. Nat Rev Rheumatol. Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar. Scott IC, Tan R, Stahl D, Steer S, Lewis CM, Cope AP.

The protective effect of alcohol on developing rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Rheumatology Oxford.

Article CAS Google Scholar. Gioxari A, Kaliora AC, Marantidou F, Panagiotakos DP. Intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Johansson K, Askling J, Alfredsson L. Di Giuseppe D, group Es: Mediterranean diet and risk of rheumatoid arthritis: a population-based case-control study. Arthritis Res Ther. Article CAS PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar. Hu Y, Costenbader KH, Gao X, Hu FB, Karlson EW, Lu B.

Mediterranean diet and incidence of rheumatoid arthritis in women. Arthritis Care Res Hoboken. Cutolo M, Nikiphorou E. RMD Open. Gorzynik-Debicka M, Przychodzen P, Cappello F, Kuban-Jankowska A, Marino Gammazza A, Knap N, et al. Potential health benefits of olive oil and plant polyphenols.

Int J Mol Sci. Karlson EW, Mandl LA, Aweh GN, Grodstein F. Coffee consumption and risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. Mikuls TR, Cerhan JR, Criswell LA, Merlino L, Mudano AS, Burma M, et al.

Lamichhane D, Collins C, Constantinescu F, Walitt B, Pettinger M, Parks C, et al. J Clin Rheumatol. Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar. Pattison DJ, Symmons DP, Lunt M, Welch A, Luben R, Bingham SA, et al. Dietary risk factors for the development of inflammatory polyarthritis: evidence for a role of high level of red meat consumption.

Rambod M, Nazarinia M, Raieskarimian F. The impact of dietary habits on the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis: a case-control study. Clin Rheumatol. Lee YH, Bae SC, Song GG. Coffee or tea consumption and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis: a meta-analysis.

Stolt P, Bengtsson C, Nordmark B, Lindblad S, Lundberg I, Klareskog L, et al. Quantification of the influence of cigarette smoking on rheumatoid arthritis: results from a population based case-control study, using incident cases. Ann Rheum Dis. Hansson LM, Galanti MR. Diet-associated risks of disease and self-reported food consumption: how shall we treat partial nonresponse in a food frequency questionnaire?

Nutr Cancer. Dey M, Cutolo M, Nikiphorou E. Beverages in rheumatoid arthritis: what to prefer or to avoid. Stangl V, Lorenz M, Stangl K. The role of tea and tea flavonoids in cardiovascular health. Mol Nutr Food Res. Hughes SD, Ketheesan N, Haleagrahara N.

The therapeutic potential of plant flavonoids on rheumatoid arthritis. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. Philippou E, Nikiphorou E. Are we really what we eat? Nutrition and its role in the onset of rheumatoid arthritis. Autoimmun Rev. Quinonez-Flores CM, Gonzalez-Chavez SA, Del Rio ND, Pacheco-Tena C. Oxidative stress relevance in the pathogenesis of the rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review.

Biomed Res Int. Woo HD, Kim J. Dietary flavonoid intake and smoking-related cancer risk: a meta-analysis. PLoS One. Bondonno NP, Dalgaard F, Kyro C, Murray K, Bondonno CP, Lewis JR, et al.

Flavonoid intake is associated with lower mortality in the Danish Diet Cancer and Health Cohort. Nat Commun. Malmstrom V, Catrina AI, Klareskog L. The immunopathogenesis of seropositive rheumatoid arthritis: from triggering to targeting. Nat Rev Immunol.

Larsson SC, Virtamo J, Wolk A. Black tea consumption and risk of stroke in women and men. Ann Epidemiol. Lourdudoss C, Arnaud L, Wolk A, van Vollenhoven RF, Di Giuseppe D. Long-term dietary changes after diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis in Swedish women: data from a population-based cohort.

Int J Rheumatol. PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar. Download references. The authors acknowledge the data collection and data handling performed by the EIRA secretariate. The study received support from Karolinska Institutet Foundations and grants.

The funder had no role in any parts of the project. Open Access funding provided by Karolinska Institute. Clinical Epidemiology Division, Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Rheumatology Division, Department of Medicine Solna , Karolinska Institutet, 76, Stockholm, Sweden.

Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland. Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar.

All authors: study concept, design, interpretation of findings, and reading and approval of the final manuscript. DDG and HW handled and analyzed all data and drafted the manuscript. Meanwhile, another study showed that while black tea had an anti-inflammatory effect, decreasing levels of several rheumatoid arthritis markers, green tea, besides the same, also had protective effects against rheumatoid arthritis.

Please note that green and black tea come from the same Camellia sinensis plant. The difference is in the time of their harvest. Green tea is harvested earlier than black tea.

Years of abuse resulting in degenerative damage do not get undone overnight. In time, the improvement should be noticeable. Valentine Sale in progress - click here to see the list! Subscribe to Green Tea Podcast: Apple podcasts. Is Green Tea Good for Arthritis Pain?

What is arthritis? Does green tea relieve joint pain? Tea vs Coffee — Which Is The Better Caffeine Choice For Runners. Scientifically Proven Ways Japanese Green Tea Makes Your Bones Stronger.

How Does Green Tea Help Control Cholesterol Ratio? Get Free Bonus Books. Discover hidden jewels and delectable fusions in this tea lover's dream. Indulge in this hojicha delight! NUTRA FLOW URINARY TRACT HEALTH. NUTRA GLYCEMIA BLOOD SUGAR SUPPORT. NUTRA HEAD MIGRAINE SUPPORT. NUTRA RELEASE WATER RETENTION.

HEALTHY WELLBEING PREMIUM BLENDS. WINTER WELLNESS PREMIUM BLENDS. Turmeric Turmeric has become a popular herbal remedy for arthritis sufferers and exercise enthusiasts alike. Green Tea Green tea comes from the same plant as black, white, and oolong tea.

Ginger Warming ginger is another great tea to ease aches and pains and support your joint health. Rose Hip Often used in skincare because of its ability to calm redness and irritation, rose hip also shows potential for supporting joint health and reducing the symptoms of arthritis.

Willow Bark Willow bark tea is famous for containing salicin, which was the original source of aspirin. Nettle Nettle tea is a popular herbal remedy that is used to treat many conditions, including joint and muscle pain. NutraJoint At NutraTea, we like to combine different herbs to create herbal tea blends that are specifically designed to support different areas of your health.

Rated 4. Add to basket. Rated 5. Tags: devil's claw , ginger , green tea , nettle , rose hip , turmeric , willow bark. Newer Can Green Tea Help You Reach Your Fitness Goals? Older The Benefits of Ginseng Tea.