4000 Year Old Secrets and Benefits of Green Tea
The Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea for over 4,000
years. But recent studies are just starting to unlock these ancient secrets
of green tea.
Today, a great deal of research is being carried out about green tea health
benefits and the findings are very exciting.
Here are just a few medical conditions that drinking green tea is reputed
to be helpful with:
Cancer
Rheumatoid arthritis
High cholesterol levels
Cardiovascular disease
Infection
Impaired immune function
Controlling high blood pressure
Lowering blood sugar
Researchers believe the real secret of green tea lies in the fact that it
is rich in EGCG which is a powerful anti-oxidant. EGCG has been found to kill
cancer cells without harming healthy tissue.
A University of Purdue study recently concluded that a compound in green tea
actually inhibits the growth of cancer cells.
Red wine has been long studied because it contains resveratrol, a polyphenol
that limits the negative effects of smoking and a fatty diet.
But 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 and French men is quite low, even though approximately seventy-five
percent of them are smokers.
Research also indicates that drinking green tea lowers total cholesterol levels,
as well as improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol.
But the health benefits of green tea don't end there. Green tea has been found
to inhibit the abnormal formation of blood clots which is the leading cause
of heart attacks and stroke.
New studies have actually shown that green tea can even help you loose weight.
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition performed 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.
It has also been shown that drinking green tea can give your body a greater
ability to fight infection and kill bacteria.
Green tea can even help prevent tooth decay. Its bacteria-destroying abilities
kill the bacteria that causes dental plaque and aids the immune system with
its antifungal properties by improving digestive function.
You may be asking if other Chinese teas offer similar health benefits. But
the answer is no. Although green, oolong, and black teas all come from the
leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, the way green tea is processed is what
sets them apart.
Green tea leaves are steamed, and that prevents the EGCG compound from being
oxidized. Black and oolong tea leaves are made from fermented leaves, which
converts the EGCG into other compounds. This process makes oolong and black
teas much less effective in preventing and fighting various diseases.
So how much green tea should you drink? There are as many answers to this
question as there are researchers investigating the health properties of green
tea.
While some companies selling green tea say that ten cups per day are necessary
to reap the maximum benefits, a University of California study on the cancer-preventative
qualities of green tea concluded that you could probably attain the desired
level of polyphenols by drinking two cups a day.
The research of this ancient beverage continues, and it may take decades to
unlock all of the secrets it holds. Although green tea should not be considered
to be a magic bullet, researchers agree the positive health benefits are very
promising.
Copyright 2004 Perfect Coffees.com. All Rights Reserved.
About the author:
Gary Gresham is the webmaster for http://www.perfectcoffees.comwhere
you can purchase quality coffee, tea, cups & mugs, coffee gifts and delicious
desserts online. He offers a free monthly coffee newsletter with similar articles
at http://www.perfectcoffees.com/newsletter.html
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