Polyphenols or phytochemicals found in green tea can help fight off bad cholesterol and harmful sugar-derived substances through strong antioxidant activity in the body.

In a recent scientific research published in the journal Food Chemistry in Taiwan, it was found that the compound EGCG or epigallocatechin 3 gallate can help reduce low-density lipoproteins (LDL) or bad cholesterol and also prevents glycatin of blood sugar. Glycation is a process whereby sugar molecules are able to bind with other types of molecules such as protein.  Glycation is characteristic of conditions such as type 2 diabetes or adult onset diabetes.

To mimic actual conditions in the human body, the in-vitro study simulated in-vivo conditions by using human blood serum.

According to the researchers Chi-Hao Wu, Chi-Tai Yey and Gow-Chin Yen, the resistance of bad cholesterol to anti-oxidant activity was directly countered by the introduction of polyphenols found in green tea.  EGCG was also able to inhibit glycation in the same in-vitro studies.

Based on this research, the researchers stated that modest health benefits related to heart health and diabetes can be acquired through regular drinking of green tea.

Benefits of drinking green tea

And there are other reasons to love green tea:

1. Due to its antioxidant properties, green tea has been viewed in the world of alternative medicine and naturopathy as a natural cancer preventive both in men and women.

2. Reducing oxidative stress can also help reduce pain, which is why drinking green tea can also help people with chronic conditions such as arthritis and rheumatism.

3. There has been some evidence that green tea can help reduce the incidence of heart diseases by lowering bad cholesterol.

4. Increasing the amount of antioxidants in the body can boost the immune function, which effectively reduces “sick days” and helps the body bounce back from illnesses such as the common flu or the common cold.

5. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it was found that people who took green tea with beverages along with modest amounts of caffeine tend to burn more calories than those who don’t drink such beverages.

6. Green tea has antibacterial activity, which may help fight off cavities and tooth decay.

7. A study in Japan showed that people who regularly drank tea were at less risk for cancer and heart problems.

8. Green tea is a natural healing aid for people with multiple sclerosis.

9. Green tea has also been noted as a potential ally against Parkinson’s disease.  Antioxidants help prevent the brain from suffering from too much oxidative stress.

10. Green tea can help regulate the natural fluid balance of the body.

11. This beverage can also help reduce the incidence of allergies because it is capable of blocking allergy receptors, like a natural anti-allergy medication.

12. Green tea can help people lose weight by stimulating the body’s metabolism.

Sources:
nutraingredients.com
chinesefood.about.com
healthmad.com
greenteasecrets.com
clinical.diabetesjournals.org

Stress reduction can now be added to the many benefits of green tea consumption.

If you’re at all fascinated by numbers and whether or not they’re lucky or unlucky, the number five is right up there with the number seven in signaling prosperity.  Let me explain what I mean…

Earlier this year, I wrote about a study out of Japan that found that drinking five cups of green tea per day reduced the risk of getting various forms of cancer by 50 percent.

Two months later, and out comes another green tea study showing improved health with five cups per day.  What kind of better health?  Reduced stress levels.

Stress is sort of like death and taxes:  there’s no avoiding it.  Whether it’s something as simple as a worrying over a test, or something more serious like worrying about a loved one serving in the military, stress complicates life and complicates our health.  It’s so serious, in fact, that it can significantly increases the risk for chronic heart disease when not kept in check.  That’s where green tea comes in.

Now, the notion that green tea can relieve stress symptoms is nothing new.  Nor is the notion that green tea improves health overall, as you’ll discover by writing “green tea” in the search bar of this Web site or any other search engine for that matter.  But these reports have mainly been anecdotal; there hasn’t been any large scale studies demonstrating its stress-relieving capability.

That is, until now, because according to findings from Tohoko University Graduate School researchers, there’s a “significant” relationship between stress levels and how much green tea people drink.  Their findings aren’t based on some small scale study of 10 or 20 people, either.  Try over 42,000, with six to seven percent of those 42,000 complaining of chronic psychological stress symptoms.  Those stress symptoms were relieved, however, among those assigned to drink at least five cups of green tea per day.

The study’s complete findings are published in the October 2009 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

What makes green tea so stress-relieving?  The researchers aren’t sure, but past research points to the polyphenol EGCG.  EGCG is a very potent polyphenol that’s been associated with a variety of health benefits, like relieving fatigue and decreasing cancer risk.

Now, drinking five cups of green tea may sound like a lot, but it’s really not, especially if you start drinking it in place of things.  For instance, instead of a cup of coffee in the morning, try drinking a cup of green tea with two tea bags instead of one (the extra bag will supply an extra 20 mg of caffeine).  Instead of a water after a workout, try a chilled down green tea beverage instead.  The sodium and potassium will supply the electrolytes that are lost during rigorous workout sessions.

As far as what’s the best green tea to choose from, always opt for organically brewed tea, paying special attention to its “Sell By” date.  For the sake of taste – not to mention nutrition – you don’t want anything that’s been sitting on the shelf unopened for more than six months.  The further the “Sell By” date is from the date in which you’re purchasing, the better.  Once opened, the shelf-life reduces even further.

Sources:
nutraingredients.com
beveragedaily.com