Green Tea Benefits

Green tea benefits have been studied in people, animals and laboratory experiments. These studies suggest that green tea may be useful for quite a few of conditions like atherosclerosis, cancer, in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots, diabetes, liver disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

The Chinese has been drinking green tea as far back as 300- years ago some beleive. Even though many studies have been done recently on green tea benefits many feel that these studies are considered non conclusive. This means that there are associations that feel that more studies need to be done before it can firmly be said that green tea is good for you.

Why green tea seems to help?

Free radicals are by-products produced by oxygen in the body and they can lead to immune system deficiency, heart problems and can even lead to cancer green tea is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).EGCG is a strong antioxidant which besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it is believed to also kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue The process by which green tea is made allows the health giving epigallocatechin gallate( EGCG) to remain in the tea.

What is green tea?

There are four main varieties of tea, green, black, white and oolong. The difference between the teas is the way they are processed. How long the leaves are oxidized after they are pluck before they begin the processing is the deciding factor if a tea is green or black. A green tea is heated right after plucking which stops the oxidation and preserves the high levels of antioxidants.

How much to drink?

It seems that 2 to 3 cups a day preferably decaffeinated and not recommended for kids because none of studies have included children. Below is a direct quote from 2004 from Harvard Health Publication:

Drinking a cup of tea a few times a day to absorb antioxidants and other healthful plant compounds. In green-tea drinking cultures, the usual amount is three cups per day. Allow tea to steep for three to five minutes to bring out its catechins. The best way to get the catechins and other flavonoids in tea is to drink it freshly brewed

Decaffeinated, bottled ready-to-drink tea preparations, and instant teas have less of these compounds. Tea can impede the absorption of iron from fruits and vegetables. Adding lemon or milk or drinking tea between meals will counteract this problem. -Source http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/benefit_of_drinking_green_tea