A Review Of The Health Benefits Of Green Tea
By Spencer

The benefits of green tea have been touted by the Chinese and Asian cultures for centuries. Finally, the West is catching on and is discovering the healing properties of this simple beverage. In the past, it has been used to help with headaches, depression, general malaise and other disorders. The Chinese have used green tea as a medicine for at least 4,000 years.

Currently, research is being conducted in Asia and in the West to find evidence of the health benefits that are associated with green tea. The evidence is staggering.

A publication in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in 1994, showed that consuming green tea actually offered a 60% reduction to the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women.

Research at the University of Purdue showed that there is a compound in green tea that inhibits the growth of cancer cells.

More research shows that drinking green tea lowers cholesterol and improves the "good" cholesterol (HDL).

Independent studies have shown that drinking green tea can be helpful for people with cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, infection, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol and impaired immune function.

Green tea has certain properties that give it its healing abilities. It is very rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly EGCG. EGCG, epigallocatechin gallate, is a very powerful antioxidant. It inhibits the growth of cancer cells and can actually kill them, yet it does not harm healthy tissue. It has also been shown as being quite effective in lowering LDL cholesterol - the "bad" cholesterol. It has also been shown to inhibit the abnormal formation of blood clots which are the leading cause of heart attack and stroke.

There are many Chinese teas, such as oolong and black teas, but they do not possess the same healing properties as green tea. While they all come from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, the difference is how they are processed. Oolong and black teas come from fermented leaves. This causes the EGCG to be converted to other compounds. These compounds are not as effective in treating disease. Green tea leaves, on the other hand, are steamed. This process prevents the EGCG from being oxidized. Thus, the green tea is richer in EGCG and is not corrupted in any way.

It is also believed that green tea may also help with weight loss. The University of Geneva performed a study where they gave men caffeine and green tea These men burned more calories than men who had only caffeine or were given a placebo. Additionally, green tea has been shown to prevent tooth decay. Its bacteria destroying properties help prevent food poisoning as well as killing the bacteria that causes dental plaque.

At this time, the only drawback to green tea, its only negative side effect, is that it contains caffeine. This can lead to insomnia. The good news is that green tea contains less caffeine than coffee. Try to look for the decaffeinated versions of green tea if you are worried about the caffeine.

Glyconutrients supplements are another way to help your body get healthy antioxidants into the body. In fact, studies have shown that glyconutritionals help the body to create its own natural antioxidants.

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