Nov 25 2007
Green Tea Health Benefits
I Don’t Know Why You Don’t Drink Green Tea.
The health benefits of drinking green tea are numerous. After researching the benefits of green tea, I don’t know why anyone would NOT drink green tea. It is reputed to protect against:
Rheumatoid arthritis
High cholesterol levels
Cancer
Impaired immune function
Infection
Cardiovascular disease
The Chinese have used it medicinally for thousands of years to treat many disease symptoms. Modern research in both Asia and the West is starting to point to evidence to support the consumption of green tea. There has been research into the effect that green tea has on reducing cholesterol levels. Another study in 1994 by the Cancer Institute showed that green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancern by almost 60% in Chinese women and men. Additional studies done by the University of Purdue showed that green tea inhibits cancer cell growth.
How is green tea able to prove so successful in maintaining health? It contains catechin polyphenols, most especially epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which is a very powerful antioxidant. EGCG has the ability to not only inhibit the growth of cancer cells but also can destroy cancer cells, without destroying healthy tissues. It is also beneficial to stop the formation of blood clots which illustrates green tea’s ability to prevent thrombosis which leads to heart attacks and stroke.
