Tea,
leaf, or bud from the plant Camellia sinensis, make
up some of the beverages popularly consumed in different parts
of the world as green tea, oolong tea, or black tea. More particularly,
as a nonfermented tea, green tea has gained more renown because of
the significant health benefits assigned to its rich content in polyphenols.
As a main constituent, green tea polyphenols were documented for their
antioxidant, anti-inflammation, anticancer, anticardiovascular, antimicrobial,
antihyperglycemic, and antiobesity properties. Recent reports demonstrate
that green tea may exert a positive effect on the reduction of medical
chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s
disease, Parkinson’s disease, and diabetes. The health benefits
of green teas, in particular EGCG, are widely investigated, and these
effects are known to be primarily associated with the structure and
compositions of its polyphenols. This Review focuses on the diverse
constituents of green tea polyphenols and their molecular mechanisms
from the perspective of their potential therapeutic function. Recent
advances of green tea polyphenols on their bioavailability, bioaccessibility,
and microbiota were also summarized in this article. Dietary supplementation
with green tea represents an attractive alternative toward promoting
human health.