Green Tea Health Benefits
Recognised by the Chinese Shang dynasty (1766-1050 BC).
Green tea benefits to health are significant as they are high in antioxidants. The benefits have been known to the Chinese for 4,000 -5,000 years. The catechins remain most potent and effective in combating cancers. Green teas are considered to reduce cholesterol levels and even to fight bacteria that create plaque and can cause dental decay.
Consumption of green tea has a much longer history than black (the oxidised tea we most commonly drink in the West). Green teas undergo little processing and have about twice the levels of antioxidants present in black tea. Green teas also have a higher content of the most bio-active antioxidant compound, EGCG.
Green tea is high in antioxidants which reduce the effects of ageing. They do this through the action of the antioxidants which combat free radicals. These toxic molecules can damage the proper functioning of healthy cells within our body causing disease.
Good for your cardiovascular system and helps reduce the chances of arterial clotting and hence strokes. The catechin flavanol group of antioxidants help reduce the likelihood of cancers, especially breast, stomach, lung, ovarian and prostate.
There is a higher concentration of polyphenols catechins (over 20%) compared with black tea. This is because green tea is not oxidised during processing so retains a much higher proportion of these naturally occurring catechins, especially the valuable epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) – over 10%. These are known to be particularly anti-carcinogenic. Studies have shown that the polyphenols in green tea are more readily absorbed by the body than those from black tea.
“Green tea is higher in protective polyphenols. The major polyphenols in green tea are flavonoids, the most active of which are catechins and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which function as powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants are known to protect the body against disease and are an important part of a healthy diet.” Source: BBC Good Food
Studies have shown that green tea acts as an anti-inflammatory. They have also indicated that green tea protects against viruses and bacterial infection.
Green tea helps fight drug-resistant superbugs. Recently, consumption of green tea has shown that it helps fight antibiotic-resistant superbugs. In particular, green tea strengthens the effectiveness of an antibiotic commonly used to combat blood and respiratory infections. Daily Telegraph.
The high catechin content of green tea helps break down cholesterol.
Green tea is rich in flouride which helps protect your teeth enamel. Green tea benefits to teeth also include combating bacteria responsible for the formation of plaque which has been shown to be particularly effective in reducing cavities amongst children. Furthermore, green tea inhibits the bacteria that cause halitosis!
Green tea may help fight Alzheimer’s disease. “The green tea polyphenol (−)-epigallocatechin gallate and the red wine extract resveratrol both remodeled the fibrillar conformation of Aβ oligomers. The resulting nonfibrillar oligomers displayed significantly reduced binding to PrPC-expressing cells and were no longer cytotoxic.” Journal of biological Chemistry.
Importantly, a six year study was completed in 2009 by Dr Etsuji Suzuki in Shizuoka, Japan amongst over 12,000 elderly men and women aged 65 to 84. It concluded that those who drank the equivalent of four cups of green tea per day decreased the likelihood of dying from all causes to one third compared to those who only drank one cup per day. US National Library of Medicine