The Miracle of Green Tea

("Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one." (Ancient Chinese Proverb)

Benefits of green tea and its effects were discovered 4,000 years ago and since then has been considered a wonder drink!

The green tea ingredients are the ones responsible for its amazing health benefits. They are called polyphenols!

Polyphenols are considered the most effective of all antioxidants and the amounts as well as the effects are far higher compared to black tea.

Asian population are experiencing the effects and benefits of drinking green tea. Statistics have shown that Asians have a lower risk of acquiring diseases because of their healthy lifestyle.

Another health benefit of green tea is it's potential to act as a protective agent against premature death from heart disease and cancer.

Drinking this tea is said to lower the levels of total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, thereby reducing platelet aggregation, and helping keep blood pressure in check.

Other health benefits of drinking green tea are the following:

• fights against cancer
• helps stabilize diabetes
• prevents cardiovascular disease
• it keeps your skin acne-free, making it healthier and prettier
• assists in weight loss regimen
• slows the aging process
• aids your digestion
• encourages bowel regularity
• provides you with a mild stimulating effect without causing sleepless nights or nervousness especially during pregnancy

You can do a lot of things with this green drink. The health benefits are not only confined to drinking but you can also medicate with it. What else? You can cook with it! Use the leftover liquor to water your plants, and keep your cat's litter box fresh and pleasant smelling.

These powerful health benefits of green tea cannot be compared to any other substance in the world without a single side effect.


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.