GENERIC NAME: GREEN TEA (Camellia sinensis) - ORAL

USES: Green tea leaves and leaf buds have been used for sleep, stomach upset, lowering cholesterol, and cancer prevention. Some herbal/diet supplement products have been found to contain possibly harmful impurities/additives. Check with your pharmacist for more details regarding the particular brand you use. The FDA has not reviewed this product for safety or effectiveness. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more details.

HOW TO USE: Take this product by mouth as directed. Follow all directions on the product package. If you are uncertain about any of the information, consult your doctor or pharmacist. If your condition persists or worsens, or if you think you may have a serious medical problem, seek immediate medical attention.

SIDE EFFECTS: Stomach upset, diarrhea and constipation may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, contact your doctor promptly. Unlikely but report promptly: fast or irregular pulse, trouble sleeping, restlessness, tremors, mental/mood changes. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.

PRECAUTIONS: If you have any of the following health problems, consult your doctor before using this product: heart problems, intestinal problems (ulcers or GERD), kidney problems, psychiatric problems (e.g., panic attacks), allergies. Liquid preparations of this product may contain sugar and/or alcohol. Caution is advised if you have diabetes, alcohol dependence or liver disease. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about the safe use of this product. Green tea is not recommended for use during pregnancy. Consult your doctor before using this product. Because of the potential risk to the infant, breast-feeding while using this product is not recommended. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding. Use with caution in infants or children, due to an increased risk of side effects. Consult your doctor.

DRUG INTERACTIONS: Before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and nonprescription medications you may use, especially other products that contain caffeine, such as: drugs used to treat migraines/headaches or prevent sleepiness. Many nonprescription products contain caffeine; check labels carefully. Also, since coffee and soft drinks contain caffeine, you should discuss their use with your doctor or pharmacist.

OVERDOSE: If overdose is suspected, contact your local poison control center or emergency room immediately. US residents can call the US national poison hotline at 1-800-222-1222. Canadian residents should call their local poison control center directly.

NOTES: Not applicable.

MISSED DOSE: If you miss a dose, use it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not double the dose to catch up.

DRUG INTERACTIONS: Before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and nonprescription medications you may use, especially other products that contain caffeine, such as: drugs used to treat migraines/headaches or prevent sleepiness. Many nonprescription products contain caffeine; check labels carefully. Also, since coffee and soft drinks contain caffeine, you should discuss their use with your doctor or pharmacist.

OVERDOSE: If overdose is suspected, contact your local poison control center or emergency room immediately. US residents can call the US national poison hotline at 1-800-222-1222. Canadian residents should call their local poison control center directly.

NOTES: Not applicable.

MISSED DOSE: If you miss a dose, use it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not double the dose to catch up.

STORAGE: Refer to storage information printed on the package. If you have any questions about storage, ask your pharmacist. Refer to storage information printed on the package. If you have any questions about storage, ask your pharmacist.

Green Tea May Help Brain Cope With Sleep Disorders

Green tea may counter the cognitive problems that come with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a new study suggests.

Green tea polyphenols (GTP) appear to negate the increased oxidative stress that affects brain tissue in areas involved in learning and memory in people with OSA, reports the study, published in the second issue for May of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. GTPs are known to possess antioxidant properties.

The conclusion is based on giving drinking water laced with GTP to rats intermittently deprived of oxygen during 12-hour "night" cycles -- a condition that mimics the intermittent hypoxia (IH) that humans with OSA experience. The rats that drank green tea-treated water performed significantly better in a maze than rats that consumed plain water.

"GTP-treated rats exposed to IH displayed significantly greater spatial bias for the previous hidden platform position, indicating that GTPs are capable of attenuating IH-induced spatial learning deficits," lead author Dr. David Gozal, director of Kosair Children's Hospital Research Institute at the University of Louisville, said in a prepared statement. He added that GTPs "may represent a potential interventional strategy for patients" with sleep-disordered breathing.

"OSA has been increasingly recognized as a serious and frequent health condition with potential long-term morbidities that include learning and psychological disabilities," Gozal said. "A growing body of evidence suggests that the adverse neurobehavioral consequences imposed by IH stem, at least in part, from oxidative stress and inflammatory signaling cascades."