Green Tea

Much has been written and said about the amazing health benefits of green tea. But what are the scientifically recognized benefits of green tea? The following is a brief sampling of some of the findings:

If you are the type to fret over the appearance of wrinkles, age spots and other signs of growing old, tea may be the answer to your worries. In a recent experiment carried out jointly by researchers from the US, Taiwan and Japan, mice which were fed green tea displayed fewer signs of aging than mice that were fed water.

The wonder cup just got even more wonderful. Green tea, rich in antioxidant treasures that protect against heart disease and cancer, now shows promise as an allergy fighter. In laboratory tests, Japanese researchers have found that the antioxidants in green tea, block the biochemical process involved in producing an allergic response. Green tea may be useful against a wide range of sneeze-starting allergens, including pollen, pet dander, and dust.

A study suggests chemicals in green tea can destroy bacteria and viruses that cause throat infections, dental caries and other dental conditions. It raises the prospect of adding tea extracts to toothpaste and mouthwash to protect the teeth. It found that caffeinated green tea was the best at fighting viruses.

Green tea catechins are chondroprotective and consumption of green tea may be prophylactic for arthritis and may benefit the arthritis patient by reducing inflammation and slowing cartilage breakdown.

Green tea may be useful in controlling inflammation from injury or diseases such as arthritis.

A report in Archives of Internal Medicine looked at about 500 Chinese men and women who regularly drank green tea for more than 10 years. Compared with nonhabitual tea drinkers, green tea regulars had higher bone mineral densities, even after exercise and calcium-which strengthen bones-were taken into account.

People who drink about 4 cups of green tea a day seem to get less cancer. Now we may know why. In recent test-tube studies, a compound called EGCG, a powerful antioxidant in tea, inhibited an enzyme that cancer cells need in order to grow. The cancer cells that couldn't grow big enough to divide self-destructed. It would take about 4 cups of green tea a day to get the blood levels of EGCG that inhibited cancer in the study. Black tea also contains EGCG, but at much lower concentrations.

Green Tea can lower 'bad' cholesterol levels. Researchers at the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland, asked test subjects to eat low-fat, low-calorie prepared meals and drink five cups of caffeinated green tea or caffeinated and non-caffeinated placebos that mimicked the look of tea. Levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol dropped 10 percent among the test subjects who drank tea.

Better to be deprived of food for three days than green tea for one, says a Chinese proverb. Research is showing it may just be true. Dr. Kenneth Mukamal of Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center reported that out of 1,900 heart-attack patients, those who drank two or more cups of green tea a day reduced their risks of dying over the next 3.8 years by 44 percent.

Trying to lose weight? Reach for a cup of green tea instead of a diet beverage. Compared to the placebo and caffeine, green tea extract consumption produced a significant 4% increase in 24-hour energy expenditure. If you consume 2,000 calories per day and don't gain or lose weight (you're in energy balance), an increase of 4% would translate roughly into an 80-calorie daily difference. Over a year, this could result in 9 pounds of weight loss.

Recent evidence shows that in the battle of fat loss, green tea may be superior to plain caffeine. According to a new study, green tea appears to accelerate calorie burning - including fat calories. Researchers suggest compounds in green tea called flavonoids may change how the body uses a hormone called norepinephrine, which then speeds the rate calories are burned.

Want to learn more? A summary of the latest findings on the proven benefits of green tea is available. We encourage you to learn more about the many benefits of tea. Or see the many varieties of green teas we offer at Adagio Teas.