Green Tea Health Benefits

by Webmaster, All4NaturalHealth.com

Many of us enjoy the many proven green tea health benefits without even realizing it. Many of us also find green tea a delicious beverage. I certainly do.

Green Tea is believed to have been used for health purposes in China for over 4,000 years, and has also been consumed for many generations in India, Japan and Thailand.

Many health benefits of green tea are attached to its consumption. In fact, in traditional medicine in China and India, green tea has been used for various purposes, including to improve heart health, as a stimulant and as a astringent (to control bleeding).

Yet, as I carry out my research, I am pretty impressed with the number of studies, both clinical and epidemiological in nature, which validate many of the health benefits of drinking green tea which have been suggested for many years.


Green tea antioxidants and health-promoting substances

The main health-promoting substances in green tea are believed to be polyphenols, plant chemicals with strong antioxidant and health properties. Polyphenols in teas are categorized as catechins.

Green tea has a few main types of catechins, including epicatechin, epicatechin gallate, epigallocatechin, epigallocatechin gallate (also known as EGCG) and gallaogatechin. Of these substances in green tea, EGCG is the most studied and believed to be responsible for most of the numerous green tea health benefits.

Catechins in general have been found in studies to be useful in slowing aging, destroying free radicals, fighting viruses, and having overall health-promoting effects on the entire body.

EGCG is a powerful antioxidant found to be stronger than resveratrol, the polyphenol in red wine which is believed to account for lower rate of heart disease in the French, despite a diet high in fat and alcohol.

As an antioxidant, EGCG has also been found to be much more effective at protecting cells from DNA damage than Vitamin C and Vitamin E, and this helps to prevent cancer, heart disease and other serious degenerative conditions.

Green tea also contains substances known as alkaloids, which have stimulating effects, such as caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline.


Green tea health benefits as compared to oolong tea and black tea

Black tea, green tea and oolong tea are all made using the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, which was originally cultivated in East Asia. Today, it grows throughout Asia and parts of Africa. Oolong tea and green tea are more popular in Asia, while the same is true for black tea in the US.

The difference between the types of teas is the method of processing. The leaves of green tea are steamed, limiting the oxidization of EGCG. On the other hand, the leaves of black tea and oolong tea are fermented, and EGCG is converted to other substances in the process.

Oolong tea leaves are partially fermented, while black tea leaves are fully fermented. The higher the level of fermentation, the lower the polyphenol (and thus EGCG) content and also the higher the caffeine content of the tea.

Thus, green tea has the highest polyphenol content, while the caffeine in green tea is only one-third to half the caffeine content of black tea. Hence, green tea health benefits would rank above the health benefits of oolong tea and black tea, in that order.


Green tea health benefits for various diseases and conditions

The benefits of green tea are said to extend to the following health conditions:

protective effects on UV-induced skin damage (topical use) - a few sources


Reaping green tea health benefits - finding a good source of green tea

As with the health benefits of any food or herb, the green tea health benefits one hopes to reap are only as good as the quality of green tea leaves which one uses. Unfermented green tea leaves are the most unprocessed and best to use. Unfermented and high quality green tea leaves contain more of the health-promoting polyphenols, so be sure to look for such a good source of your green tea.

Please also remember that green tea is not a miracle food, herb or drink. Even as you drink it regularly to enjoy its numerous health benefits, please do maintain an overall healthy diet and lifestyle.

Personally, putting the green tea health benefits aside, I find it a refreshing and delicious beverage. It seems to clear my head, too, and makes my stomach feel better. For myself, I have upgraded green tea from 'love it and drink it occasionally' to 'love it and drink it regularly'.

Brew some for yourself today. Enjoy!

Read More: Natural Healing Herbs, Herbals Formulas and Foods - My Favorites | Information on some Herbs | Nutrition Health Articles - Foods, Diets, Supplements, Nutrients and more | Understanding Nutrition | Home Page | Site Search

---

Share YOUR Knowledge and Experiences on Green Tea

Do you have any experiences, knowledge and information on green tea which would be useful to our other readers? These could include its health benefits and medicinal properties; dosages and amounts to take; potential side effects, adverse reactions and contraindications; preparation instructions; reliable and quality sources; background and history; as well as other related topics. We invite you to share your natural health knowledge and experiences on green tea here. If applicable, please discuss the exact brands and dosages which you used.

Enter Your Title

Share Your Natural Health Knowledge and Experiences [ ? ]

Close Help Entering your story is easy to do. Just type!... Your story will appear on a Web page exactly the way you enter it here. You can wrap a word in square brackets to make it appear bold. For example [my story] would show as my story on the Web page containing your story. TIP: Since most people scan Web pages, include your best thoughts in your first paragraph.

Upload 1-4 Pictures or Graphics (optional)[ ? ]

Close Help Do you have some pictures or graphics to add? Great! Click the button and find the first one on your computer. Select it and click on the button to choose it. Then click on the link if you want to upload up to 3 more images.

Add a Picture/Graphic Caption (optional)  

Click here to upload more images (optional)

Add a Picture/Graphic Caption (optional)  

Add a Picture/Graphic Caption (optional)  

Add a Picture/Graphic Caption (optional)  

Author Information (optional)

To receive credit as the author, enter your information below.

Your Name	(first or full name)
Your Location	(e.g., City, State, Country)

Submit Your Contribution

• Check box to agree to these  submission guidelines.
• I am at least 16 years of age.
• I understand and accept the privacy policy.
• I understand that you will display my submission on your website.

(You can preview and edit on the next page)

Click here to see the rest of the form and complete your submission.

---

Tweet

	Get Quality Natural Health Supplements at Reasonable Prices. $5 or $10 discount for new customers
Get natural, herbal and homeopathic remedies for hundreds of health conditions and ailments. GO.

New! Comments

Have your say about what you just read. Leave a comment in the box below.

---

Return from this page Green Tea Health Benefits to Natural Healing Herbs, Herbal Formulas and Foods - My Favorites

---

Return from this page Green Tea Health Benefits to All 4 Natural Health... attaining good health naturally... Home Page

---