# Claim table — green tea / matcha / microplastics / cancer-support framing

| Claim | Evidence label | Practical wording |
|---|---:|---|
| Microplastics/nanoplastics have been detected in carotid plaque and human tissues. | Supported | Real tissue-detection studies exist, including carotid plaque and decedent brain analyses. |
| Plaque microplastics prove a direct cause of fatal stroke. | Not proven | The NEJM carotid-plaque study found an association with MI/stroke/death; it did not prove causality or general-population risk. |
| Green tea “detoxes” microplastics. | Not established | No good human evidence shows green tea removes stored microplastics from tissues. Use “supports health defenses,” not “detoxes plastics.” |
| Green tea can reduce inflammation. | Mixed/modest | Mechanistic evidence is plausible; RCT meta-analyses show inconsistent inflammatory-marker effects. |
| Green tea supports blood pressure/cardiovascular markers. | Modest support | Meta-analyses report small improvements in BP/lipids/glycemic markers, not a drug-level effect. |
| Green tea “starves cancer” by cutting blood supply. | Mechanistic/preclinical; overstrong as patient claim | EGCG/green-tea anti-angiogenesis work is real in lab/animal systems; it is not cancer treatment and should not replace oncology care. |
| Matcha gives more leaf compounds than steeped tea. | Supported with caveats | Whole-leaf powder can deliver more catechins/caffeine; quality testing and caffeine/iron/liver cautions matter. |
| HEPA/water filters reduce exposure. | Practical precaution | Filtration can reduce some airborne/waterborne particles; no single intervention eliminates exposure. |