Benefits of
Green Tea Extract
Health Benefits for Green Tea
(To go straight to benefits of green tea extract, scroll down)No other drink has as many health benefits as green tea. In China, people have used green tea as a medicine for 4000 years.
Like other Chinese teas such as black and oolong, green tea comes from the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant.
But green tea is processed differently. Green tea leaves are steamed. Other tea leaves are fermented. Why does this matter? The power of green tea comes from its rich supply of catechin polyphenols, specifically, an antioxidant called EGCG.
Steaming the tea leaves keeps the EGCG compound intact, while fermenting strips EGCG of most of its medicinal properties.
Benefits of Green Tea Extract
EGCG stops cancer from growing. And, unlike radiation, it kills cancer cells without damaging healthy tissue. Medical studies have also shown that EGCG lowers bad (LDL) cholesterol and inhibits the formation of blood clots. An abnormal blood clot is the primary cause of heart attack. Green tea helps prevent:
- cancer cell growth
- rheumatoid arthritis
- high (LDL) cholesterol
- cardiovascular disease
- infections, colds, and flu
Green tea also promotes weight loss. Research shows that green tea extract increases thermogenesis, the body's generation of body heat. This, in turn, burns calories and fat.
How do the French Stay Healthy?
They eat lots of cheese. They chain-smoke. What gives? Well, the French also drink red wine with most meals. Red wine contains reservatrol, a polyphenol that limits the effects of fatty diet and smoking. What's this got to do with green tea? Remember EGCG? In 1997, a group of researchers at the University of Kansas concluded that EGCG is twice as powerful as reservatrol.
Green Tea Side Effects
You don’t have to worry about any green tea side effects. Yes, green tea contains caffeine, so you might have trouble sleeping. But green tea has significantly less
caffeine than coffee or soda.
Pregnant and nursing women should consult their doctor.
Green Tea in a Supplement
The standardized extract form is the best. It contains the highest concentration of the active ingredient catechin polyphenols. Green tea extract should be standardized to contain 80 percent catechin polyphenols; look for this on the label. Any quality anti-aging supplement should contain green tea. It's one of the most powerful antioxidants. Green tea supplements are available, but aren't recommended. You miss out on the synergy between nutrients. Vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and herbs enhance each other when taken together.
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