The Benefits of Green Tea
by Will Shaw
So you want to know about the health benefits of green tea? Well, where shall I
begin? There has been a great deal of research carried out in the last few years
about green tea health benefits and the findings are very exciting.
It is a well known fact that antioxidants are essential for a healthy body. They
help to fight against free radicals. "What are they?", you may ask. Free radicals are
by-products produced by oxygen in the body and they can lead to immune system
deficiency, heart problems and can even lead to cancer.
Green Tea contains antioxidants; it contains a lot of them. In particular it
contains one very powerful antioxidant called EGCG or epigallocatechin-gallate.
EGCG is one of the catechins and research has found it to contain far more
antioxidant properties than both vitamin E and vitamin C. The special process by which
green tea is made allows much more of the health giving EGCG to remain in the
tea.
It has also been shown in research that EGCG can actually slow the growth of and
kill cancer cells. In fact there have been several studies from around the world
which point to green teas anti-cancer properties.
Wow! It's already a great story for green tea health benefits.
But the health benefits of green tea don't end there.
Green Tea also contains tannins which have a calming effect on the nerves.
Tannins are polyphenols and they occur in many natural substances such as fruit
and chocolate. Tannins add color and flavor to the tea and are particularly
well known in wine circles for their appearance in red wine. It is thought a
high amount of tannins is not good for the body, but the good news is that green
tea has a much lower level of tannins than black tea.
So how about getting in shape? Well the benefits of green tea come in many
shapes and sizes. "What's next?", I here you say. Well green tea also has a
beneficial effect on the metabolism. Studies have actually shown that green tea
can help you loose weight. What a great way to loose weight sipping on a healthy
flavorsome cup of green tea!
It has been shown that green tea health benefits can be gained through the teas
ability to fight infection and kill bacteria. Green tea can be helpful in
protecting teeth, in aiding the immune system with it's antifungal properties
and by improving digestive function.
The health benefits of green tea have been studied and enjoyed for years in
Asian cultures such as China and Japan and now this information is much more
widely available in the west. We can all now enjoy green tea health benefits and
at the same time if we choose to actually drink the teas we can have a fun and
interesting time trying different teas.
About the Author
Tea drinker and creator of the Green Teas Guide. Explore the health benefits of Green Tea with the Green Teas Guide ( http://www.green-teas-guide.com ). Sign up for the Free Newsletter.