Green Tea Benefits Guide

Green Tea Benefits

It has become widely recognised that green tea benefits can be wide-ranging, with many of these now being supported by clinical studies which provide us with an increasingly clearer basis of fact to support the benefits of green tea. Apart from tea being a refreshing beverage, it contains no sodium, fat, carbonation, or sugar, and has virtually no calories.

Green tea benefits are largely associated with the presence of powerful polyphenols called catechins of which epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is the most active polyphenol in green tea and widely thought to be responsible for green tea benefit and health promoting effects.

Green tea’s antioxidising effects are thought to neutralise free radicals, which over time scientists believe damage elements in the body, such as genetic material and lipids, and contribute to chronic disease. Research continues on a daily and weekly basis uncovering further potential health benefits and suggesting that polyphenols in tea play an important role in the prevention of disease.

The anti-oxidising effects of these polyphenols are thought to help prevent cancer and heart disease, lower cholesterol, reduce inflammation associated Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, aid in preventing the development of diabetes by stabilising blood sugar levels, boosting the metabolism to help with weight loss, and protecting the liver against the damages of toxic substances.

Green Tea Benefits High cholesterol and Heart Disease

Green tea has been shown to be effective in lowering Low Density Lipoprotein (bad) cholesterol levels and raising High Density Lipoprotein  (good) cholesterol. Population-based clinical studies have found that men who drink green tea are more likely to have a lower cholesterol than those who do not – it is thought that this is as a result of polyphenols blocking the intestinal absorption of cholesterol and promoting the body to excrete these.

These properties also include inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots, which is the leading cause of heart attacks and stroke. In a large population based study, adults who drank just over two cups of green tea per day reduced their risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 22- 23%. In addition, researchers indicate that the rate of heart attack decreases by 11% with consumption of 3 cups of tea per day.

Cancer and Green Tea

Researchers believe green tea benefits are the powerful polyphenols which not only inhibit the growth of cancer cells but also kill them without affecting other cells in the body. A number of population-based studies have shown that cancer-rates in countries which consume green tea regularly, such as Japan, are lower than those who do not.Emerging clinical studies suggest that the polyphenols in tea, especially green tea, may play an important role in the prevention of cancer.

Various clinical studies have shown that green tea benefits those who have cancer or in preventing cancer and is thought to be able to impact breast cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, and skin cancer among others.

Weight loss with Green Tea

Clinical studies suggest that green tea extract may help burn fat by boosting a person’s metabolism and some scientists believe that the polyphenols it contains, specifically the catechins, are responsible for green tea’s fat-burning properties.

Diabetes and Green Tea Benefits

Green tea has been shown to help with the control of blood sugar in the body and studies suggest that it may help with the prevention of diabetes and slow its progression. Individuals with type 1 diabetes generate little or no insulin which is a hormone that converts glucose and starches among others into energy, it is believed that green tea benefits the body by helping to regulate glucose.

Liver disease and Green Tea

Population-based clinical studies have indicated that green tea benefits men if they drink more than 10 cups of green tea per day resulting in them being less likely to develop disorders of the liver. Green tea also seems to guard the liver from the damaging effects of substances such as alcohol.

Green Tea Benefits Neurological Disease

Green tea is also understood to reduce the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease and help prevent age-related memory decline. A published study of close to 30,000 adults found that drinking three or more cups of tea per day was linked with a 69% reduction in the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.

Green tea also contains alkaloids including caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline. These alkaloids provide green tea’s stimulant effects. L-theanine, an amino acid compound found in green tea, has been studied for it’s calming effects on the nervous system.

Ultimately, Green tea benefits are derived from the way in which it has been processed, where green leaves are steamed, preventing the ECGC compound from being oxidised and locking-in all of its health promoting compounds.