|
What is Green Tea?
Is any other food or drink reported to have as many
health benefits as green tea? The Chinese have known
about the medicinal benefits of green tea since ancient
times, using it to treat everything from headaches to
depression. In her book Green Tea: The Natural
Secret for a Healthier Life, Nadine Taylor states
that green tea has been used as a medicine in China for
at least 4,000 years.
Today, scientific research in both Asia and the west
is providing hard evidence for the health benefits long
associated with drinking green tea. For example, in 1994
the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published
the results of an epidemiological study indicating that consuming
green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in
Chinese men and women by nearly sixty percent.
University of Purdue researchers recently concluded that
a compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer
cells. There is also research indicating that drinking
green tea lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as
improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL)
cholesterol.
To sum up, here are just a few medical conditions in
which consuming
green tea is reputed to be helpful:
- cancer
- rheumatoid arthritis
- high cholesterol levels
- cardiovascular disease
- infection
-
impaired immune function
What makes green tea so special?
The secret of green tea lies in
the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols,
particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a
powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of
cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming
healthy tissue. It has also been effective in lowering
LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal
formation of blood clots. The latter takes on added
importance when you consider that thrombosis (the
formation of abnormal blood clots) is the leading cause
of heart attacks and stroke.
Links are being made between
the effects of drinking green tea and the "French
Paradox." For years, researchers were puzzled by the
fact that, despite consuming a diet rich in fat, the
French have a lower incidence of heart disease than
Americans. The answer was found to lie in red wine,
which contains resveratrol, a polyphenol that limits the
negative effects of smoking and a fatty diet. In a 1997
study, researchers from the University of Kansas
determined that EGCG is twice as powerful as
resveratrol, which may explain why the rate of heart
disease among Japanese men is quite low, even though
approximately seventy-five percent are smokers.
Other benefits
New evidence is emerging that
green tea can even help dieters. In November, 1999,
the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
published the results of a study at the University
of Geneva in Switzerland. Researchers found that men
who were given a combination of caffeine and green tea
extract burned more calories than those given only
caffeine or a placebo.
Green tea can even help
prevent tooth decay! Just as its bacteria-destroying
abilities can help prevent food poisoning, it can also
kill the bacteria that causes dental plaque. Meanwhile,
skin preparations containing green tea - from deodorants
to creams - are starting to appear on the market.
When mixed with raw honey green
tea becomes a healthful and delicious treat. Honey is
quickly absorbed by the human body which enables green
tea to get into the blood stream within minutes of its
consumption.
Above
statements have not been evaluated by the
Food and Drug Administration. This
product is not intended to diagnose,
treat, prevent or cure any disease.
|
