Green Tea Benefits
The amount of studies on the health benefits of green tea consumption has exploded in recent years. With good reason. Green tea is proving to be effective against a whole host of illnesses and conditions. Eisai ,the monk who brought tea to Japan said that it was “the elixir of the immortals. Wherever tea seeds are planted, long life is sure to follow”. Here are a list of some of the healing powers of green tea.
Longevity
Japanese researchers have found that green tea consumption can lead to lower mortality rates in humans. Following over 40,000 subjects aged 40-79 over 11 years, they discovered a significantly lower risk of death from all causes among those who drank 5 or more cups of green tea a day than those who drank less than a cup. This was especially true in the case of death from cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Protection Against Heart Disease
Numerous studies have shown that drinking green tea can protect against heart disease due to a number of effects of green tea: vasculoprotective, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory and cholestorol-lowering.
Studies have also shown that EGCG, one of the main catechins in green tea can prevent heart muscle cell death after a heart attack.
Protection Against Diabetes
Recent evidence suggests that drinking green tea can reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes! People who drink 6 cups or more of green tea a day are less likely to develop diabetes than those who drink just one cup.
Cancer prevention
Green tea and specifically EGCG, one of green tea’s most potent catechins have been showing a lot of promise in cancer prevention. Green tea is very promising due to a number of reasons: it is non-toxic, have a much wider range of target organs comapared to standard drugs, digestive tract, liver, breast, prostate and skin being just some of the organs where green tea helps. According to one researcher “The first stage of cancer prevention with green tea leads to the delay of cancer onset”.
Stroke prevention
Green tea may prevent stroke, and EGCG has been shown to protect braincells from destructive processes following stroke .
Lowers cholesterol levels
Studies have shown that people who drink green tea have lower cholesterol levels than those who do not drink any green tea. Researchers suspect this may be because green tea helps prevent lipid absorption in the digestive tract and encourages their excretion by the body.
Liver protection
Population-based studies have shown that men who drink more than 10 cups of green tea a day are less likely to develop liver disorders. Animal based studies have shown green tea to protect the liver against toxic substances such as alcohol.
Improved Memory
Japanese researchers have shown that drinking green tea helps maintain cognitive ability (1) and may improve memory (2). It is thought that EGCG in green tea helps neutralise harmful free radicals that cause damage in the brain.
Prevention of neurodegenerative diseases
Due to the wide-ranging effects of its polyphenols, green tea is being studied for its benefits on neurodegenerative conditions. Researchers in Haifa, Israel working with animal models have found that “Not only may the EGCG help prevent the brain cells from dying, it appears as though the polyphenol may even rescue the neurons once they have been damaged, to help them repair”.
Lowers blood pressure and prevents hypertension.
Green tea lowers blood pressure and prevents hypertension by increasing the production of nitric oxide, which dilates the arteries and reduces blood pressure. Researchers have also found that over the course of a year consuming tea, the risk of high blood pressure was lower by 46% among those drinking between 0.5 to 2.5 cups a day and 65% lower among those consuming over 2.5 cups per day.
Protects Skin from UV damage
Green tea polyphenols protect against UV-induced sunburn, immunosuppression and photoaging of the skin.green tea polyphenols protect the skin by improving the elastic tissues.
Anti-clotting effect
Green tea appears to prevent the formation of blood clots (thrombosis) by inhbiting platelet aggregation.
Protects from negative effects of smoking
According to studies(1) green tea may prevent oxidative damage among smokers as well as protecting against future cardiovascular disorders in chronic smokers.
Increases bone mineral density
Green tea consumption may prevent osteoporosis and bone loss. Researchers in the University of Tokyo have shown that drinking green tea may increase bone density while Australian rrsearchers have found that bone mineral density is 2.8% greater in tea drinkers than non-drinkers.
Increases exercise endurance.
Animal studies indicate that green tea increases exercise endurance. Catechins increase metabolic capacity and utilisation of fatty acid as a source of energy in skeletal muscle during exercise..
Prevents Tooth decay
Green tea is a proven remedy to prevent tooth decay. It kills the bacteria that cause dental plaque and halitosis and increases the acid resistance of tooth enamel
