Is Green Tea Good for a UTI?

Written by

Jessica Guht

Jessica is a medical writer with an unquenched thirst to discover something new. She believes that medical content should be accessible to everyone and strives to write content that every single person can understand. When Jessica isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading a book with a dog cuddled in her lap. Jessica has a Masters of Engineering degree in Biomedical Engineering.

Medically reviewed by

Amy Dougherty, FNP-BC, AGAC

Amy is a Board Certified Family Health Nurse Practitioner (FNP) with over 15 years of experience working in Hospital Medicine, Urgent Care and Primary Care practices. Amy graduated Thomas Jefferson University with high distinction earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2008, a Master of Science in Nursing in 2010 and a Post Master's Certificate in Adult Gerontology Acute Care (AGAC) in 2014. She was recognized by the Elite American Nurses Association in 2013 for her dedication, achievements and leadership in the field Nursing. She served as a clinical preceptor for a number of Nurse Practitioner students and enjoys teaching the bright minds of future NPs.

A UTI can be uncomfortable and you likely are looking for ways to remedy the situation as quickly as possible. Maybe you’ve heard about some ways to get better fast but aren’t sure what works the best. One question many people have is, is green tea good for UTI?

Here you can gather more information about what a UTI is exactly and if drinking tea is good for them. We’ll also outline the health benefits of green tea and answer some questions that may be on your mind regarding this matter. It won’t be long before you have all the details you’ll need to answer the question if green tea is good for a UTI or not.

Table of Contents

• What Is a UTI?
• Is Drinking Green Tea Good for UTIs?
• How Can Green Tea Affect Your Urinary Health?
• Can Drinking Green Tea Cause a UTI?
• What Are Some Other Health Benefits of Green Tea?
• Key Takeaways

What Is a UTI?

First, it’s wise to learn and know more about what a UTI is. You may have heard the term thrown around before but maybe you’ve never had one previously. A UTI is a urinary tract infection that takes place in any part of the urinary system such as the kidneys or urethra. 

The infection itself is caused by bacteria that get into the urinary system from outside of the body. It’s a common infection that in most cases requires an antibiotic as the best treatment for it.

If left untreated, it can potentially lead to more serious conditions. Most symptoms entail having to urinate frequently, pain when urinating, and as well as feeling pain in your lower back and your side.

Is Drinking Green Tea Good for UTIs?

Now that you know what a UTI is you likely want to know how to treat it. One option is drinking green tea. The short answer is, yes, green tea is an effective remedy for a UTI. It not only helps urinary tract health but also helps with bladder control. One of the top benefits of drinking green tea is that it can help treat UTIs. Since it acts as an antimicrobial it can fight well against the bacteria that cause a UTI. Green tea has plenty of antioxidants as well and these will eliminate antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

How Can Green Tea Affect Your Urinary Health?

Another benefit of drinking green tea is that it can positively impact your urinary health. It does so by cleansing the bladder of unwanted waste and irritants. Ridding the bladder of these irritants creates a calming effect and helps maintain healthy functioning.

Green tea not only contains bladder-protecting properties but also offers hydrating effects. Polyphenols are known to have strong anti-inflammatory and strong antimicrobial effects and green tea is chock full of these plant compounds.

Can Drinking Green Tea Cause a UTI?

You may also be wondering if green tea can cause a UTI. You’ll be happy to know that having a cup of tea now and again isn’t going to cause a UTI. Remember, everything in moderation. In fact, drinking a few cups of green tea daily can help clear up a UTI. The truth of the matter is that there are many different ways to get a UTI. Regardless of what you do, be sure that you drink plenty of water daily.

What Are Some Other Health Benefits of Green Tea?

There are several important health benefits of drinking green tea that you should know about as well. These upsides may have you drinking it more often than not. 

For starters, green tea can improve brain function and increase fat burning. Not only does it contain healthy bioactive compounds and antioxidants but it might also help prevent type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Additional benefits include reducing bad breath and protecting the brain from aging. Some studies also show it works well for cancer prevention and some skin conditions. Of course, it’s also vital to note that it can help treat and is good for a UTI.

FAQs

Below are answers to some of the most common questions about green tea and UTIs.

Key Takeaways

In summary, UTIs or urinary tract infections are uncomfortable and even painful. While green tea offers many health benefits and can work to help manage a UTI, you’re most likely going to require antibiotics from a licensed provider.

Be glad to know that here at DrHouse we can help. We provide fast and convenient as well as high-quality doctor visits virtually in the US. 

If you think you have a UTI and require a prescription then get in touch with our team right away to receive treatment. We are available around the clock. 

You can talk to board-certified clinicians from the top U.S. medical schools in 15 minutes or less, renew your prescriptions, and discuss health matters with our care assistants 24/7. 

Our solution is a reliable and affordable one when you are faced with urgent healthcare problems.  

Sources:

• Afsaneh Noormandi, Fatemeh Dabaghzadeh, Effects of green tea on Escherichia coli as a uropathogen, Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine,Volume 5, Issue 1, 2015, Pages 15-20, ISSN 2225-4110, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcme.2014.10.005. 
• P. Chantre, D. Lairon, Recent findings of green tea extract AR25 (Exolise) and its activity for the treatment of obesity, Phytomedicine, Volume 9, Issue 1, 2002, Pages 3-8, ISSN 0944-7113, https://doi.org/10.1078/0944-7113-00078. 
• Reygaert Wanda, Jusufi Ilir, Green tea as an effective antimicrobial for urinary tract infections caused by Escherichia coli, Frontiers in Microbiology, Volume 4, 2013, ISSN=1664-302X. DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2013.00162.
• Wanda C. Reygaert, “Green Tea Catechins: Their Use in Treating and Preventing Infectious Diseases”, BioMed Research International, vol. 2018, Article ID 9105261, 9 pages, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/9105261
• Foxman, B. The epidemiology of urinary tract infection. Nat Rev Urol 7, 653–660 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrurol.2010.190.