People have been reaping the benefits of green tea for more than 4000 years. You’d be hard pressed to find any food or drink which is said to have more healing qualities than green tea. It has been used throughout history to treat everything from headaches to depression; all this before the scientific properties were understood.
Research from around the world is finding hard evidence of the benefits of green tea, proving that it isn’t just a placebo. A 1994 study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published results finding that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly sixty percent. This is because of a certain compound in the tea actually hinders the growth of cancerous cells in the body as well as improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol.
Below is a list of the main medical conditions which drinking green tea or taking a green tea dietary supplement is helpful for:
- impaired immune function
- infection
- rheumatoid arthritis
- high cholesterol
- cardiovascular disease
- cancer
Catechin polyphenols, in particular epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG, are super anti-oxidants which help to not only stop the growth of cancer cells but also kill cancer cells without harming the good, healthy cells.
Tea Fact:
A strange fact about green tea is that, unlike oolong and black tea (which all come from the same Camellia sinensis plant), because it is steamed the EGCG is not oxidized and therefore is a much more powerful healing agent than the other two teas.
There is good news for the overweight as well: Besides all its healing properties, green tea has been found in new studies that when combined with caffeine people burned more calories.
There has only been one negative side effect associated with green tea: Insomnia, because of the caffeine in the tea, but there is less caffeine in green tea than in coffee. So if you find it difficult to sleep because of the tea, don’t drink it before bed and you should be ok.
It seems that pretty much across the board drinking green tea is very good for you and because of the latest research it seems it isn’t just a crackpot herbal remedy but a scientifically proven elixir. It is found in shops all around the world and isn’t very expensive. A healthy diet that includes green tea is recommended for a prolonged and healthy life.