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