The most consumed beverage in 2010, next to water, is tea, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Green tea is made when the tea leaves are picked young and are unfermented, and the processing of green tea is reported by the UMMC to give it a higher concentration of antioxidants, which are compounds that protect the body from damage causing, free radical molecules. Green teas antioxidant protection makes it useful in the treatment of several medical conditions. As with any herb, if you are being treated for a medical condition or are on medication of any sort, speak to your doctor before consuming green tea on a regular basis.
Cancer Prevention
Green tea has been the subject of numerous scientific studies, and several of them have investigated the effects of green tea on cancer. One such study, written by Joshua D. Lambert, Ph.D., and Ryan J. Elias, Ph.D., from The Pennsylvania State University, reviewed how green tea works to protect the body from cancer. Published in the June 14, 2010 issue of "Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics," Lambert and Elias report that the primary antioxidant catechin in green tea, known as EGCG or epigallocatechin-3-gallate, stops the activity of damaging free radical molecules in healthy tissue and initiates tumor cell death. Free radicals are byproducts of normal body processes such as digestion and metabolism, but their production can also be increased as a result of environmental factors such as cigarette smoke, the sun's UV rays and pollution according to Brunswick Laboratories. Catechins in green tea protect the body from attacks by cancer causing agents, making it effective in the role of cancer protection. University of Maryland Medical Center reports that green tea has been found to have positive effects specifically against bladder, ovarian, colon, esophageal, lung, pancreatic, stomach, prostate and skin cancers.
Lower Cholesterol
Green tea has been found to have a significant cholesterol lowering effect, according to a study in the April 2008 issue of the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition." Researchers in Spain, led by F.J. Tinahones, administered green tea extract for five weeks to healthy women. When tested at the end of the study, the results showed that the subjects' oxidized LDL cholesterol had dropped by 37 percent. Oxidized cholesterol has been assaulted by damaging molecules, and it is the type of cholesterol that is believed to cause atherosclerosis or the hardening of the arteries, according to a report from the University of California.
Lower Diabetes Risk
Insulin is a hormone in the body that helps it use blood glucose for fuel, and insulin resistance develops when the body does not use insulin efficiently, according to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. The development of insulin resistance often leads to type 2 diabetes. Researchers at National Taiwan University studied the effects of green tea on insulin resistance. The results of their study, written up by L.Y. Yu and published in the April 2004 issue of the "European Journal of Nutrition," state that supplementing the diet with green tea for 12 weeks improved insulin resistance and lowered blood pressure. In the study, rats were divided into groups and fed a diet high in fructose, but one of the groups also consumed green tea with the diet. The rats without the green tea developed high blood pressure, high blood sugar and insulin resistance. The rats that supplemented with green tea had an improvement in all of these factors.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Green Tea
- PubMed.gov: Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics: The Antioxidant and Pro-Oxidant Activities of Green Tea Polyphenols: A Role In Cancer Prevention
- Brunswick Laboratories: Free Radicals
- PubMed.gov: Journal of the American College of Nutrition: Green Tea Reduces LDL Oxidablility and Improves Vascular Function
- University of California: Understanding the Development of Atherosclerosis
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