GREEN TEA
Japanese Tea Ceremony
I would like to sing the praises of the healing properties of Green Tea. The health benefits of Green Tea are many and we should all be drinking at least 3 to 4 cups a day. Tea (Camellia sinensis) is manufactured in four forms: green tea (unfermented), oolong tea (semi-fermented), black tea (fermented) and white tea (semi-fermented) Incidentally, white tea was once reserved for royalty in China. Most tea is hand picked as the leaves are too delicate to be harvested by a machine.
Green tea has been consumed for over 4,000 years, Chinese and Japanese cultures have long known the health benefits of this wonderful beverage and only recently has the western world taken heed with recent scientific studies beginning to establish the potential health benefits of drinking green tea.
The protective effects of green tea are due chiefly to catechins. Catechin is a tannin peculiar to green tea, it is a powerful, water soluble polyphenol and antioxidant that is easily oxidized. Tea contains four main catechin substances: EC, ECG, EGC and EGCG, all of which are inclusively called catechin. EGCG is the most powerful; as an antioxidant it is about 25-100 times more potent than vitamins C and E and one cup of green tea has antioxidant effects greater than a serving of broccoli, spinach, carrots, or strawberries. Catechin reacts with toxins created by harmful bacteria and also harmful metals such as lead, mercury, chrome, and cadmium.Scientists report in the Journal of Nutrition that regular consumption of green tea reduces the risk of breast cancer by approximately 12% compared with non green tea drinkers. Results from an animal study suggest that EGCG from green tea may stop the growth and spread of breast cancer cells by impacting on the tumour's blood vessels. A study of 69,710 Chinese women aged between 40 and 70 published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention suggests that regular green tea consumption may reduce the risk of colon and rectal cancer in women by 50%. Also, on the subject of women and cancer: a study, published in the Annals of Epidemiology, found that drinking five or more cups of green tea a day may reduce a woman's risk of mouth cancer, however, men may not experience similar benefits, suggests the study from Japan.
Green tea catechins were found to be chemopreventive in a clinical trial involving men diagnosed with high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (which often develops into prostate cancer within 1 year). After one year, in those who consumed tablets containing catechins (600 mg/day) there was a 3% incidence of prostate cancer, compared to 30% among men treated with a placebo.
Studies also show evidence that green tea provides immunoprotective qualities, particularly in the case of patients undergoing radiation or chemotherapy. White blood cell count, essential for fighting infection, appear to be maintained more effectively in patients consuming green tea compared to non-supplemented patients.
A study published in the Journal of Periodontology report that green tea promotes healthy gums and teeth. Researchers observed that for every one cup of green tea consumed per day, there was a decrease in periodontal disease in those subjects who regularly drank green tea. Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the gums and bone supporting the teeth, and has been associated with the progression of other diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Research from Greece reveal that regular consumption of green tea may improve the function of endothelial cells - cells lining the walls of blood vessels - and boost cardiovascular health. The study published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation concluded that consumption of green tea reduced cardiovascular disease and death.
Researchers report in Nutrition that daily supplements of green tea extract reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure and also LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) “Camellia sinensis compounds may be an option for people who have mild to moderate high BP, elevated LDL cholesterol, elevated markers of inflammation, or a combination of these three Cardiovascular risk factors,” wrote the researchers. “It may be helpful for individuals whose health care providers suggest a trial of diet and exercise before resorting to prescription medication,” they concluded.
A study in the journal Stroke, reported from pooled data from nine different studies that drinking three cups or more of tea (green or black tea) may reduce the risk of a stroke by 21%. Theanine (an amino acid found in tea) is almost 100% absorbed. "It gets across the blood-brain barrier and it looks a lot like a molecule that's very similar to glutamate, and glutamate release is associated with stroke. It could be that theanine and glutamate compete for the glutamate receptor in the brain," said lead author Lenore Arab.
The Journal of Neuroscience, report that EGCG may prevent Alzheimer’s-like damage in the brains of mice genetically programmed to develop the neurodegenerative disease process. EGCG decreases production of the Alzheimer’s-related protein, beta-amyloid, which can accumulate abnormally in the brain and lead to nerve damage and memory loss.
In The Journal of Nutrition a study recruited just over 100 adults aged between 21 and 65. The participants were all healthy and “normally sedentary”, During the study, the participants committed to 180 minutes of “moderate-intensity” physical activity per week, and to attend a minimum of three supervised exercise sessions per week. The participants drank either 500ml per day of a beverage providing 625mg catechins, or a control beverage containing added caffeine to match the caffeine content of the catechin beverage. At the end of the study period, people in the catechin group had lost more body weight compared to the control group. And so it was suggested that antioxidant compounds in green tea could help promote exercise-induced abdominal fat loss
So there you have it, scientific evidence of some of the marvelous health benefits of drinking green tea. To see some scientific articles on Green Tea and cancer press the link below and go to my website Evidence Based Natural Health, please do not be put off by the scientific jargon - go straight to the conclusion or discussion to read the positive effects of green tea on cancer in general or a specific cancer.www.evidencebasednaturalhealth.weebly.com/green-tea.html
Read also Green teaappears to have antiobesity and antidiabetic effects.
Green tea has been consumed for over 4,000 years, Chinese and Japanese cultures have long known the health benefits of this wonderful beverage and only recently has the western world taken heed with recent scientific studies beginning to establish the potential health benefits of drinking green tea.
The protective effects of green tea are due chiefly to catechins. Catechin is a tannin peculiar to green tea, it is a powerful, water soluble polyphenol and antioxidant that is easily oxidized. Tea contains four main catechin substances: EC, ECG, EGC and EGCG, all of which are inclusively called catechin. EGCG is the most powerful; as an antioxidant it is about 25-100 times more potent than vitamins C and E and one cup of green tea has antioxidant effects greater than a serving of broccoli, spinach, carrots, or strawberries. Catechin reacts with toxins created by harmful bacteria and also harmful metals such as lead, mercury, chrome, and cadmium.Scientists report in the Journal of Nutrition that regular consumption of green tea reduces the risk of breast cancer by approximately 12% compared with non green tea drinkers. Results from an animal study suggest that EGCG from green tea may stop the growth and spread of breast cancer cells by impacting on the tumour's blood vessels. A study of 69,710 Chinese women aged between 40 and 70 published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention suggests that regular green tea consumption may reduce the risk of colon and rectal cancer in women by 50%. Also, on the subject of women and cancer: a study, published in the Annals of Epidemiology, found that drinking five or more cups of green tea a day may reduce a woman's risk of mouth cancer, however, men may not experience similar benefits, suggests the study from Japan.
Green tea catechins were found to be chemopreventive in a clinical trial involving men diagnosed with high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (which often develops into prostate cancer within 1 year). After one year, in those who consumed tablets containing catechins (600 mg/day) there was a 3% incidence of prostate cancer, compared to 30% among men treated with a placebo.
Studies also show evidence that green tea provides immunoprotective qualities, particularly in the case of patients undergoing radiation or chemotherapy. White blood cell count, essential for fighting infection, appear to be maintained more effectively in patients consuming green tea compared to non-supplemented patients.
A study published in the Journal of Periodontology report that green tea promotes healthy gums and teeth. Researchers observed that for every one cup of green tea consumed per day, there was a decrease in periodontal disease in those subjects who regularly drank green tea. Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the gums and bone supporting the teeth, and has been associated with the progression of other diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Research from Greece reveal that regular consumption of green tea may improve the function of endothelial cells - cells lining the walls of blood vessels - and boost cardiovascular health. The study published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation concluded that consumption of green tea reduced cardiovascular disease and death.
Researchers report in Nutrition that daily supplements of green tea extract reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure and also LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) “Camellia sinensis compounds may be an option for people who have mild to moderate high BP, elevated LDL cholesterol, elevated markers of inflammation, or a combination of these three Cardiovascular risk factors,” wrote the researchers. “It may be helpful for individuals whose health care providers suggest a trial of diet and exercise before resorting to prescription medication,” they concluded.
A study in the journal Stroke, reported from pooled data from nine different studies that drinking three cups or more of tea (green or black tea) may reduce the risk of a stroke by 21%. Theanine (an amino acid found in tea) is almost 100% absorbed. "It gets across the blood-brain barrier and it looks a lot like a molecule that's very similar to glutamate, and glutamate release is associated with stroke. It could be that theanine and glutamate compete for the glutamate receptor in the brain," said lead author Lenore Arab.
The Journal of Neuroscience, report that EGCG may prevent Alzheimer’s-like damage in the brains of mice genetically programmed to develop the neurodegenerative disease process. EGCG decreases production of the Alzheimer’s-related protein, beta-amyloid, which can accumulate abnormally in the brain and lead to nerve damage and memory loss.
In The Journal of Nutrition a study recruited just over 100 adults aged between 21 and 65. The participants were all healthy and “normally sedentary”, During the study, the participants committed to 180 minutes of “moderate-intensity” physical activity per week, and to attend a minimum of three supervised exercise sessions per week. The participants drank either 500ml per day of a beverage providing 625mg catechins, or a control beverage containing added caffeine to match the caffeine content of the catechin beverage. At the end of the study period, people in the catechin group had lost more body weight compared to the control group. And so it was suggested that antioxidant compounds in green tea could help promote exercise-induced abdominal fat loss
So there you have it, scientific evidence of some of the marvelous health benefits of drinking green tea. To see some scientific articles on Green Tea and cancer press the link below and go to my website Evidence Based Natural Health, please do not be put off by the scientific jargon - go straight to the conclusion or discussion to read the positive effects of green tea on cancer in general or a specific cancer.www.evidencebasednaturalhealth.weebly.com/green-tea.html
Read also Green teaappears to have antiobesity and antidiabetic effects.