In the past decade, green tea has become a very popular drink. Tea companies offer it in many different flavors, as well as decaffeinated. Green tea has many health benefits and there are a multitude of reasons to drink it on a daily basis. Tea was discovered accidentally more than 5,000 years ago. Now, it is the most widely-consumed beverage in the world and is used both socially and medicinally.
The difference between green tea and black tea may be the reason for green tea's special benefits. Green tea is higher in compounds that are associated with the health benefits. Green tea is prepared by drying freshly picked leaves. Black tea is made from the same tea leaves, however, they are “sweated” before they dry #- a process that helps develop a deeper flavor. The fermentation process destroys some of the active components to the tea leaves, leaving black tea to have less health benefits.
The constituents that make green tea so healthy are called polyphenols and flavonols, specifically known as catechins. These catechins found in green tea are the same chemical compounds found in other plants that have antioxidant activity. Antioxidants are compounds that help the body guard against the damaging effects of free radicals. Antioxidants are very powerful against many diseases: cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's, just to name a few. And green tea is packed full of them, almost 90 percent of green tea has these particular catechins. That's powerful!
Several of these catechins that are present in green tea are known as the EGCGs. They are known to be the most biologically active antioxidants and are 25 to 100 times more potent than vitamins C and E. One more reason to drink your cup of tea.
The EGCGs and green tea have been studied to show an association with their consumption and overall cancer and heart disease risk. There have been many studies conducted that show green tea's powerful antioxidant action protects against cell damage and can decrease the growth of cancerous tumors. Study after study demonstrates that people with larger intakes of flavonoids have decreased risk of cancer. The incidence of prostate cancer is extremely low in China, a country in which green tea is consumed on a regular basis, and smokers there tend to have a lower risk of getting lung cancer.
Higher consumption of green tea has also been linked to lower incidences of cardiovascular disease. There are mixed reviews on if green tea can actually lower LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein), however, the action of the antioxidants just seems to be overall heart healthy.
Aside from these benefits, recent studies have linked green tea consumption with weight loss. Green tea may help by stimulating thermogenisis or increasing calorie expenditure. It is not clear if this is attributed to its caffeine content, one study shows that green tea actually stimulates thermogenisis more than caffeine alone. The study found that mice receiving green tea in their diets had less food intake, weight gain, and storage of fat tissue. Therefore, green tea may have an effect on reduction of body weight.
Again, with many of these studies, there is no conclusive evidence. However, green tea has been imbibed for so many years, it seems like it's not something we can go wrong with. A cup or two of green tea is recommended instead of the over-the-counter supplements. In high doses, those supplements can lead to insomnia, restlessness, and even rapid heartbeat. Remember, they contain caffeine. A cup of green tea provides about 100 to 200 mg of polyphenols and has antioxidant activity greater than a serving of broccoli! And don't worry; decaffeinated green tea still contains these powerful constituents. So sit back and enjoy your tea!
Michele Wilbur, RD., is a dietitian at Auburn Memorial Hospital. She also sees private nutrition clients and can be reached at
(607) 227-6993
The constituents that make green tea so healthy are called polyphenols and flavonols, specifically known as catechins. These catechins found in green tea are the same chemical compounds found in other plants that have antioxidant activity. Antioxidants are compounds that help the body guard against the damaging effects of free radicals. Antioxidants are very powerful against many diseases: cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's, just to name a few. And green tea is packed full of them, almost 90 percent of green tea has these particular catechins. That's powerful!
Several of these catechins that are present in green tea are known as the EGCGs. They are known to be the most biologically active antioxidants and are 25 to 100 times more potent than vitamins C and E. One more reason to drink your cup of tea.
The EGCGs and green tea have been studied to show an association with their consumption and overall cancer and heart disease risk. There have been many studies conducted that show green tea's powerful antioxidant action protects against cell damage and can decrease the growth of cancerous tumors. Study after study demonstrates that people with larger intakes of flavonoids have decreased risk of cancer. The incidence of prostate cancer is extremely low in China, a country in which green tea is consumed on a regular basis, and smokers there tend to have a lower risk of getting lung cancer.
Higher consumption of green tea has also been linked to lower incidences of cardiovascular disease. There are mixed reviews on if green tea can actually lower LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein), however, the action of the antioxidants just seems to be overall heart healthy.
Aside from these benefits, recent studies have linked green tea consumption with weight loss. Green tea may help by stimulating thermogenisis or increasing calorie expenditure. It is not clear if this is attributed to its caffeine content, one study shows that green tea actually stimulates thermogenisis more than caffeine alone. The study found that mice receiving green tea in their diets had less food intake, weight gain, and storage of fat tissue. Therefore, green tea may have an effect on reduction of body weight.
Again, with many of these studies, there is no conclusive evidence. However, green tea has been imbibed for so many years, it seems like it's not something we can go wrong with. A cup or two of green tea is recommended instead of the over-the-counter supplements. In high doses, those supplements can lead to insomnia, restlessness, and even rapid heartbeat. Remember, they contain caffeine. A cup of green tea provides about 100 to 200 mg of polyphenols and has antioxidant activity greater than a serving of broccoli! And don't worry; decaffeinated green tea still contains these powerful constituents. So sit back and enjoy your tea!
Michele Wilbur, RD., is a dietitian at Auburn Memorial Hospital. She also sees private nutrition clients and can be reached at
(607) 227-6993
