Green Tea - Health in a Cup

How do you fit a miracle in a cup?

For around 4,000 years, the Chinese people have been using green tea as treatment for everything from headaches to depression.

Today, studies are being conducted in Asia and the west in order to produce hard

 evidence of the health benefits of green tea. In fact, in the 1994 edition of the Journal of National Cancer Institute, the results of an epidemiological study staid that one of the benefits of drinking green tea is that it can reduce the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by up to 60%.

The presence of catechin polyphenols, especially epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), is the reason why green tea has so many health benefits. A powerful antioxidant, EGCG not only can inhibit the growth of cancer cells, but can destroy them without harming healthy cells as well.

The University of Purdue has also concluded research on how a particular compound present in green tea can stop cancer cells from growing. Yet another health benefit of green tea is its ability to reduce cholesterol levels and benefit the ratio between good (HDL) cholesterol and bad (LDL) cholesterol.

The EGCG in green tea is a substance that can lower down LDL cholesterol levels and stop blood from forming clots (thrombosis), a leading cause of heart attacks and strokes.

Green tea has more health benefits when compared to other Chinese teas like oolong and black tea, all of which come from the plant Camellia sinensis. The reason green tea is different is the process with which it is made. Green tea owes most of its health benefits to how the Camellia sinensis leaves are steamed. The steam process keeps the EGCG health benefit of green tea from oxidizing. With oolong and black teas, the leaves are fermented instead of being steamed, thus causing the EGCG health benefit to transform into another less medicinally potent form.

Aside from medicinal value, green tea can also offer other health benefits, particularly in the fitness field. Drinking green tea can cause you to burn down more calories. A recent study on the health benefits of green tea shows that the drink can help dieters. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 1999, men who take both caffeine and green tea burn down more calories than men who only take caffeine or a placebo.

Another health benefit of green tea is its bacteria-destroying properties. The health benefit of green tea in this area is that it can help prevent food poisoning and also prevent tooth decay. The substances found in green tea can kill the bacteria causing food poisoning and those that cause dental plaque to form.

Well known for its countless medicinal and health benefits, green tea is nothing short of a miracle.

Find the best sources for buying tea online at www.greenteafact.com.

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There are but a few herbs with a more impressive history than Chinese green tea. Dating back more than 4,000 years, Chinese green tea has long been revered as a tasty drink that can ward off diseases and improve a person’s well-being.

Since the first recorded use during the time of Emperor Shen Nung, the relationship

 between Chinese green tea and good health has never been severed. Today, further studies are made to test the benefits of this remarkable health elixir

Traditional Health Benefits of Chinese Green Tea

According to tradition, Chinese green tea could cure anything from headaches, body aches, and pains to constipation and depression. Over the centuries, further health claims have been made on account of Chinese green tea.

Chinese green tea is said to increase the blood flow throughout the body. Because green tea contains a little caffeine, ingesting this drink stimulates the heart and allows the blood to flow more freely through the blood vessels. For the same reason that green tea stimulates blood flow, it also stimulates mental clarity.

Chinese green tea detoxifies the body. The presence of polyphenols, a naturally occurring antioxidant in green tea, is said to combat harmful free radicals and help keep the body free from diseases. In this respect, green tea helps maintain the overall well-being of the body. Antioxidants in green tea can boost immunity, preserve young-looking skin, and brighten the eyes.

Chinese green tea aids in digestion and banishes fatigue. Chinese green tea is also said to prolong the lifespan.

For many years, men of science remained skeptical about the health claims made by green tea enthusiasts. Their doubt was changed to a more positive reception when subsequent researchers proved the disease-preventing attributes of green tea and confirmed most of the health claims.

Chinese Diet Green Tea and the Heart

Many studies have shown that drinking green tea and eating polyphenol-rich foods reduces the risk of heart complications. Drinking Chinese green tea also helps to strengthen the blood vessels that provide oxygen and valuable nutrients to the heart and brain. It has been shown that men who drink green tea are 75 percent less likely to suffer from a stroke than those who don’t drink green tea.

Chinese green tea can help to lower total cholesterol levels and improve the ratio between LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol. Study shows that men who drink nine or more cups of green tea daily have lower cholesterol levels than those who drink fewer than two cups.

Chinese Diet Green Tea and Longevity

The role of Chinese green tea in promoting longevity has been investigated upon by many researchers. They found the premise of their study on observing that Japanese women who are greater-than-average green tea drinkers, have lower mortality rates than others. This led the researchers to believe that green tea has “a protective factor against premature death.”

The polyphenols found in Chinese green tea may be the reason. With its high amount of polyphenols, green tea seems to have a stimulating effect on the immune system. Stronger immune system as a result of drinking green tea helps reduce risks of acquiring any illnesses.

Find the best sources for buying green tea at greenteafact.com.

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For 4,000 years, Asians have regarded green tea as something more than just a beverage. Green tea was used as an herbal medicine and treatment for everything from headaches to depressions and even to weight loss.

Researches have been conducted over the last few years to identify what compound present in green tea makes it a potent health drink. The scientists have found that green tea contains several antioxidants which are responsible for many of green tea’s health benefits, including weight loss.

A research study by American and Swiss scientists on the weight loss benefit of green tea was concluded and the results of which were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and Urology. During the course of their study, they have found that green tea contains certain compounds that contribute to its weight loss benefit.

Lead researcher, D. Abdul Dulloo said in a press release that there are only two ways to achieve weight loss - either reduce energy intake or increase energy expenditure. Green tea, it seems, has compounds that can increase the body’s normal metabolism rate, thus giving it its weight loss benefit.

At the University of Geneva, where the study was conducted, Dr. Dulloo and his colleagues experimented on ten healthy young men. They theorized that the main contributor to green tea’s weight loss benefit is its caffeine content. To test this hypothesis on green tea’s weight loss benefit, they placed the study’s participants on a typical “Western” diet which is about forty percent fat, thirteen percent protein, and forty-seven percent carbohydrates.

Thrice everyday, the researchers measured their subjects’ energy expenditure (the measurement used in determining the number of calories burned in 24 hours) and monitored their respiration quotient to find out how well they utilized their carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

When they interpreted the data they collected, they found out that the men receiving regular dosages of green tea extract showed a significant increase in their 24-hour energy expenditure and a reduction in their respiration quotient (which means that more fat is burned, thereby achieving maximum weight loss). On the other hand, those men who were only given caffeine or placebo with every meal showed only minimal increases in their metabolism rates.

The scientists construed that the substance catechin polyphenol present in green tea adds to its weight loss benefit. These substances in green tea may alter how the body uses the hormone norepinephrine which is responsible for increasing the metabolism rate, thus leading to weight loss.

In their conclusion, the scientists inferred that green tea owes its weight loss benefit to the presence of antioxidants and the substance catechin polyphenol. These substances help increase fat and calorie burning and optimize weight loss.

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