Green Tea, The Advantages of Green Tea, Health Advantages of Green Tea, The Miracle of Green Tea

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Green tea has been enjoyed by the Chinese and Japanese cultures for thousands of years, yet it has not been until relatively recently that the rest of the world has discovered the joys of green tea. It is considered to be one of the most popular herbal supplements in the world. Green tea offers many nutritional benefits; such as its ability to help loss weight, lower cholesterol, increase immune function, and improve the cardiovascular system. The reason for green tea being so incredibly beneficial lies in the fact that the green tea leaf is rich in healthy antioxidants called catechin polyphenols.

The most powerful of these catechins is EGCG and it accounts for 10% to 50% of the total catechin content of green tea. The EGCG in green tea is beneficial for the heart and circulatory health and support of the body’s natural resistance to cancer of the bladder, breast, colon, esophagus, lung, pancreas, prostate, skin and stomach. It is anywhere from 25 to 100 times more potent than vitamins C and E.

Tea made from tea leaves (as opposed to herbal teas) are very good for you, since they are simply water plus phytochemicals (of which catechin polyphenols are a part of) and caffeine, and very little else, unless of course you add sugar or another substance to it before drinking. Green tea contains about half of the amount of caffeine found in black tea and about a quarter of the amount of caffeine that is found in one regular cup of coffee making it a healthy drink you can consume at just about any time of the day.

Both green and black tea are derived from the same plant, yet black tea is fermented and therefore contains more caffeine, and green tea leaves are not fermented. Green tea leaves are also rich in fluorine and help to prevent dental decay by inhibiting the enzyme that causes plaque formation. Another important factor is that people generally consider green tea to cause less nervousness and anxiety than that of black tea, probably due to the lower levels of caffeine.

Overall, it is not hard to see why green tea is so respected; its plentiful beneficial nutrients and other properties are nothing but positive, and can be beneficial to one’s health in more than several ways. This article is just the tip of the iceberg of the many great qualities of green tea. You owe it to yourself to learn more about this tasty and healthy drink.

Health Advantages of Green Tea
The health advantages of green tea make it appear to be the miracle drink of recent years. It is mentioned as a cure for everything from stomach trouble to fatigue, from rheumatoid arthritis to tooth decay.

People in the Far East have been turning to the health advantages of green tea for various ailments for centuries, so it isn’t surprising that the beverage has become a popular remedy worldwide.

Perhaps the most interesting claim of fans of green tea is that it can be beneficial in the war against cancer.

A 1994 study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute showed that green tea lessened the risk of cancer of the esophagus in Chinese subjects by close to 60 percent.

In addition, a study at the University of Purdue found that, because of its chemical makeup, green tea can also reduce the growth of cancer cells.

Health Advantages of Green Tea—More Than Skin-Deep

There is also evidence that green tea can be beneficial for your skin. In an article on “Green Tea and Skin” published in the Archives of Dermatology in the year 2000, Santosh K. Katiyar, Nihal Ahmad, and Hasan Mukhtar discussed how green tea could be effective in fighting skin cancer. Because of its composition, green tea can prevent inflammation and cancer in the skin.

Still, you might be wondering how this is possible. In the data examined by Katiyar, Ahmad, and Mukhtar, the polyphenolic compounds in green tea were tested and found to provide protection against cancer in mouse skin.

In addition, some successful experiments were conducted on human skin in the lab. The analysis conducted by the author’s shows that green tea polyphenols have cancer-fighting properties.

As a result, it appears that health advantages of green tea could be used successfully in skin products to treat various skin disorders, which could help immensely in the battle against skin cancer.

As Mukhtar stated, “Of all the antioxidants known to mankind, the components of green tea are the most potent.” Still, the authors caution that additional study is needed to fully explore the cancer-combating capabilities of green tea.

Why Green Tea is a Superior Disease-Fighter

Of course, you might be wondering why there are health advantages of green tea in fighting skin cancer, when other types of tea are not.

While green, black, and oolong tea are all derived from the Camellia sinensis plant, green tea is processed in a way that helps to preserve its antioxidant nature.

That’s because green tea leaves are steamed, preventing their cancer-fighting compounds from being oxidized. As a result, black and oolong teas are not nearly as effective in fighting disease.

Taking a Closer Look at Green Tea

It might be helpful at this point to take a closer look at green tea and its unique properties. Dr. Stephen Hsu, a scientist at the Medical College of Georgia, has done extensive research on green tea and its medicinal effects.

Hsu has found that the compounds in green tea known as polyphenols destroy free radicals, which have been known to give rise to cancer because of changes they make in DNA.

Essentially, the polyphenols kill cancer cells, while protecting healthy cells. Hsu and his research team compared the growth of normal skin cells to the growth of cells that had been exposed to green tea polyphenol.

The researchers were surprised to learn that the tea component rejuvenated dying skin cells. The reactivation was limited to the epidermis, or outer layer of the skin. Still, Hsu believes that the research will have a profound impact upon various skin conditions.

A Green-Tinged Fountain of Youth

In addition to combating cancer, health advantages of green tea could be effective in treating a variety of other skin conditions, including ulcers, psoriasis, rosascea, and hard-to-heal wounds.

As a result of such research, some have referred to green tea as being a veritable “fountain of youth” for the skin. While additional research is obviously necessary, the initial results are incredibly encouraging.

In fact, Hsu has been working on developing skin products in which green tea plays a significant role. In this way, Hsu has found a way to apply his lab work to the cosmetic counter.

It appears that green tea is particularly effective in protecting the skin from sun damage—a major contributing factor to skin cancer.

The Future of Green Tea

Given the public’s interest in alternative medicine, it would appear that green tea will be increasingly used as an agent for enhancing health. In fact, each year people turn to green tea for its therapeutic benefits.

Research on green tea’s beneficial effects on the skin appears to be particularly promising. Not only might it lead to younger-looking skin—it may also help to keep skin cancer at bay—which would be welcome news to the fair-skinned and anyone who has a history of skin cancer in their family.

Wikipedia

Green tea is a type of tea made solely with the leaves of Camellia sinensis that has undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures in Asia from Japan to the Middle East. Recently, it has become more widespread in the West, where black tea is traditionally consumed. Many varieties of green tea have been created in countries where it is grown. These varieties can differ substantially due to variable growing conditions, processing and harvesting time.

Over the last few decades green tea has been subjected to many scientific and medical studies to determine the extent of its long-purported health benefits, with some evidence suggesting regular green tea drinkers may have lower chances of heart disease and developing certain types of cancer. Green tea has also been claimed as useful for “weight loss management” — a claim with no scientific support according to medical databases such as PubMed.