Read about the benefits of drinking green tea for arthritis patients.

It is not uncommon for arthritis patients to seek relief from their symptoms using both traditional and non-traditional methods. Those with various forms of arthritis will often take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) as well as prescription pain medications. But, there are also a number of natural remedies that may also be beneficial.

According to the Arthritis Foundation, one of those remedies is green tea. Green tea can be helpful to those with arthritis due to the presence of a micronutrient called polyphenol that is able boost the effectiveness of the body’s immune system and help combat certain diseases.

"Tea drinking boosts T cells' ability to react against bacterial and viral infections," Jack Bukowski, a rheumatologist at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, told the Arthritis Foundation. "I suspect this is good for people with rheumatoid arthritis, who are taking immunosuppressive medications that make them more susceptible to infection."

Why drink green tea?

According to Healthline, green tea has been used medicinally for hundreds of years. Citing research conducted by the University of Maryland Medical Center, one cup of green tea can contain as many as 150 milligrams of polyphenols. In addition, green tea can also help reduce the free radicals that may play a significant role in exacerbating inflammatory joint disease.

Although there are still more medical studies that need to be conducted, preliminary evidence indeed suggests that there are therapeutic benefits to drinking green tea for those with arthritis.

How much green tea should you drink?

Unfortunately, there is not yet a consensus on the ideal number of cups of green tea that people with arthritis should drink. Citing a study conducted by Harvard Medical School, Healthline reports that drinking several cups per day can be beneficial, although the research does not specify an exact number of ounces.

Stephen Hsu, a medical researcher at Georgia Health Sciences University (now Georgia Regents University), told the Arthritis Foundation that a patient would need to drink as many as eight cups (64 ounces) of green tea daily to achieve optimal health benefits. Dr. Hsu explained that the reason for this is because just two hours after drinking green tea, the amount of polyphenols present in the blood stream drops significantly (polyphenols being the compound that helps mitigate inflammation in the joints). Therefore, according to the studies, perhaps the best strategy would be to drink green tea steadily throughout the day in order to keep the polyphenols at a helpful level that will help the immune system begin to help assuage the effects of arthritis.

For more on alternative treatments for arthritis:

Treating Osteoarthritis Naturally
Can Acupuncture Help Ease Your Arthritis Pain?
Alternative Treatments: Massage Therapy for Arthritis Pain