The Benefits Of Green Tea

Is any other food or drink reported to have ascells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy
many health benefits as green tea? The Chinesetissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL
have known about the medicinal benefits of greencholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal
tea since ancient times, using it to treatformation of blood clots. The latter takes on
everything from headaches to depression. In heradded importance when you consider that
book, Green Tea: The Natural Secret for athrombosis (the formation of abnormal blood
Healthier Life, Nadine Taylor states that green teaclots) is the leading cause of heart attacks and
has been used as a medicine in China for at leaststroke. Links are being made between the effects
4,000 years.Today, scientific research in both Asiaof drinking green tea and the "French Paradox."
and the west is providing hard evidence for theFor years, researchers were puzzled by the fact
health benefits long associated with drinking greenthat, despite consuming a diet rich in fat, the
tea. For example, in 1994 the Journal of theFrench have a lower incidence of heart disease
National Cancer Institute published the results ofthan Americans. The answer was found to lie in
an epidemiological study indicating that drinkingred wine, which contains resveratrol, a polyphenol
green tea reduced the risk of oesophageal cancerthat limits the negative effects of smoking and a
in Chinese men and women by nearly sixtyfatty diet. In a 1997 study, researchers from the
percent. University of Purdue researchers recentlyUniversity of Kansas determined that EGCG is
concluded that a compound in green tea inhibitstwice as powerful as resveratrol, which may
the growth of cancer cells.There is also researchexplain why the rate of heart disease among
indicating that drinking green tea lowers totalJapanese men is quite low.Other Benefits New
cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio ofevidence is emerging that green tea can even
good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol.help dieters. In November 1999, the American
To sum up, here are just a few medicalJournal of Clinical Nutrition published the results of
conditions in which drinking green tea is reputed toa study at the University of Geneva in
be helpful:1) cancerSwitzerland. Researchers found that men who
2) rheumatoid arthritiswere given a combination of caffeine and green
3) high cholesterol levelstea extract burned more calories than those
4) cardiovascular diseasegiven only caffeine or a placebo. Green tea can
5) infectioneven help prevent tooth decay! Just as its
6) impaired immune functionWhat makes greenbacteria-destroying abilities can help prevent food
tea so special? The secret of green tea lies in thepoisoning, it can also kill the bacterium that causes
fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularlydental plaque.Last is that Green Teas are better in
epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerfulits original form and not altered and industrialized
anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of canceras to be sold in Tea bags.