The Wonderful Health Benefits Of Green Tea

There’s no doubt that green tea is a highly nutritious beverage. The Chinese have used it as a medicine for thousands of years to treat ailments such headaches and depression. In more recent years, the health benefits have been well documented from scientific studies all over the world. Green tea is rich in antioxidant substances called polyphenols: A series of chemicals called catechins; EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) is the most powerful. Antioxidants have the ability to mop up free radicals capable of causing blood clots (which could lead to thrombosis) and plaque formations on the inner walls of arteries leading to cardiovascular disease. Green tea also reduces bad (LDL) cholesterol. Anti-cancer properties have been found in green tea. For example, through research, the National Cancer Institute published in 1994 an epidemiological study showing that regular drinkers of green tea reduced the risk of oesophageal cancer by a whopping great 60%. The University of Purdue found that green tea had the ability to inhibit cancer cell growth. Having said that, more research; lab and real-world studies could be done to find out just how great the extent to which the anti-cancerous properties of green tea really are. Recently, Professor Tak-Hang Chan at the chemistry department of Montreal University stated from his studies it showed that the synthesised form of EGCG was able to have the effect of shrinking prostate cancer tumours in mice. However, with regards to human implications on this with green tea, Chan questions how much is needed to be drunk in order to get the health benefits: He questions how efficient the body is able to use EGCG. In another study, good quality green tea was found to be 25-100 times more powerful than vitamin C or E. Its immune system building contributions make it good for fighting ageing, digestion, promotion of brain and liver function and healthy gums. Other health benefits of green tea include fighting rheumatoid arthritis, dental plaque reduction and the prevention of food poisoning due to its anti-bacterial properties. Those who want a drink with less caffeine may well want to consider green tea. It has less than half the amount of caffeine compared to coffee. The best green tea is bright green and doesn’t taste bitter. –If the green tea you’re having is not like this then it is an inferior oxidised quality, usually brown in appearance and indeed has less health benefit. Like black and oolong teas, green tea leaves comes from a plant called Camellia sinesis. However, the processing method determines the quality of green tea and sets it apart from the other two. Good quality light coloured green tea has had less chance to ferment. The tea leaves are stemmed, roasted or pan-dried very quickly, leaving very little time to ferment. Most nutrient- rich green tea is Matcha. Matcha comes from Japan and is root-roasted or pan fried. It is made from a stone ground powder completely unfermented and retains much of its nutrient value.