Green Tea Health Products Portland OR

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 ...

Green Tea Health Benefits

Polyphenols and Green Tea Health Benefits

Green tea health benefits are attributed to compounds called polyphenols, which are natural chemical agents with powerful antioxidant properties.

Research has shown the antioxidant effects of green tea polyphenols to be greater than vitamin C and linked to possible slowing or prevention of cancer, arthritis, heart disease, aging, and tooth decay. The slightly bitter taste of the brew is in part caused by these natural polyphenols.

Catechins, which are a subgroup of the Polyphenol family, are found in tea and fall into these six categories: catechin, gallaogatechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, and apigallocatechin gallate (also referred to as EGCG).

EGCG is the most powerful, most active and most researched of all the green tea polyphenols.

Compared to other blends, green tea leaves have the highest percentage of polyphenol, making up 30% to 40% of the total composition of the leaf. This is quite a contrast to black teas that only contain 3% to 10% polyphenols.

The difference in the levels is attributed to differences in processing once the tea leaves and buds are harvested. Green teas are minimally oxidized, whereas black teas are fully oxidized.

Other ingredients present in green tea are alkaloids - caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline - that contribute to the beverage's mild stimulating effect.

Fluoride, which also occurs naturally in green tea, has been known f...

Health Benefits of Green Tea

More than 500 studies have been conducted in recent years to determine the potential health benefits of green tea. In Asia, this smooth, delicate brew has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years.
Scientific findings have linked green tea consumption to the slowing or prevention of conditions including heart disease rheumatoid arthritis, impaired immune disease, and liver disease.

In addition, some studies have indicated tea may have cancer-fighting properties for cancer of the bladder, colon, esophageal, stomach, and pancreas.

Health benefits of green tea have been proven to aid tooth decay and dieting. The tea's medicinal properties -- whether consumed hot or over ice -- are attributed to its rich concentration of catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate, which act as powerful antioxidants that ward off disease and improve health.

The limited oxidation or fermentation of tea leaves during processing protects these antioxidant properties from breaking down, making the health benefits of green tea more significant that black or oolong varieties.

Here are highlights of some recent studies that point to the health benefits of green tea.

Cancer

• The Journal of the National Cancer Institute published results of an epidemiological study indicating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly sixty percent.

• A Japanese study among women who dra...