Green tea has been in the news a lot lately. The latest buzz is centered around a substance found in green tea called polyphenols.
Part of what makes vegetables and fruits so healthy is catechins. Catechins are also found in green tea. The type of catechin found in green tea is the most powerful and is called EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate).
EGCG is called a super antioxidant because it is even more powerful than Vitamin C. EGCG destroys free radicals in the human body. Free radicals are unstable molecules that have been linked to disease. Free radicals constantly attack the body leaving it open to disease.
Every cell in your body engages in biochemical processes. DNA, proteins, and lipids all are necessary for cellular processes to take place. What free radicals do is to disrupt the biochemical process in cells. This opens up the body to disease and illness because it compromises the natural defense system in the body. Free radicals can be thought of as highly reactive molecules that react to all the cells and tissue around them. They damage proteins, lipids, and even DNA!
Reactive oxygen metabolites is another name for free radicals. As the name implies, because we are oxygen breathing creatures, reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM) are invariably produced. ROM is responsible for cellular destruction, aging, stroke, heart disease, arthritis and more. Oxygen, the same compound that sustains life also takes it.
Without any antioxidants in your body, your cells oxidize and breakdown faster thereby speeding up the aging process. This is why many people who smoke age faster. The free radicals caused by the hundreds of chemicals in cigarettes causes cellular oxidation at an increasing rate. Free radicals also cause cancer which is why people that smoke have a higher level of risk for certain types of cancer. Whether you smoke or not, free radicals cause oxidative damage that makes us age.
EGCG is found in such high concentrations in green tea, it is why new research has linked green tea to the health benefits listed below.
Lower LDL levels
Raises good cholesterol
Lowers the risk of cancer and heart attack
Decrease the risk of stroke
Green tea drinkers suffer less from arthritis
Enhance immune function
Kills bacteria. Has anti-viral properties. Helps lower weight.
Increases life span because of antioxidant properties
One tea bag provides anywhere from 120 to 350 mg of polyphenols and has a high concentration of EGCG. Scientists now believe that EGCG has 100 times more antioxidants than Vitamin C and 30 times more antioxidants than Vitamin E.
The Chinese have been drinking green tea for thousands of years because of its health benefits. The western world is only now analyzing the benefits of green tea against disease and illness. Watch for more medical studies to be released soon.
The latest research indicates that green tea may help in Alzheimer's disease by decreasing the production of a protein which in large amounts causes nerve damage and memory loss. All of the benefits of green tea can be attributed to polyphenols, particularly EGCG.
Green tea comes in various dosage forms but the more popular versions are the liquid forms and the patch.
Posted under green tea
