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The
Miracle of Green Tea
By
Mark “Dr. Tea” Ukra, Tea Expert
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 drinking 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 drinking
green tea is reputed to be helpful:
-
cancer
-
rheumatoid
arthritis
-
high
cholesterol levels
-
cariovascular
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.
Why
don't other Chinese teas have similar health-giving properties?
Green, oolong, and black teas all come from the leaves of the
Camellia sinensis plant. What sets green tea apart is the way
it is processed. Green tea leaves are steamed, which prevents
the EGCG compound from being oxidized. By contrast, black and
oolong tea leaves are made from fermented leaves, which results
in the EGCG being converted into other compounds that are not
nearly as effective in preventing and fighting various diseases.
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.
Harmful
Effects?
To
date, the only negative side effect reported from drinking green
tea is insomnia due to the fact that it contains caffeine. However,
green tea contains less caffeine than coffee: there are approximately
thirty to sixty mg. of caffeine in six - eight ounces of tea,
compared to over one-hundred mg. in eight ounces of coffee.
by
Dr. Tea, Tea Expert
Much Love and Light
Mark
Dr. Tea, Ukra,
Tea Expert & proprietor of the Tea Garden & Herbal Emporium.
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