Green teas are the steamed young leaves of the Camelia sinensis plant. Essentially, every kind of tea is made from this plant, including green, black and oolong teas. Green teas may be sold as Chinese or Japanese tea.
According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes for Health (NCCAM), green teas have a component--called EGCG--that has been used to treat and prevent breast, skin and stomach cancers. Green tea has also been used as a weight loss aid, to help lower cholesterol, protect the skin from the sun and to increase mental acuity.
People generally drink green tea or take green tea extracts for health benefits.
The NCCAM states that animal studies on green tea show it can slow certain cancers from growing, yet studies with people have mixed outcomes.
Green tea has caffeine, which may contribute to mental awareness. NCCAM states that it cannot corroborate the media's claims that green tea improves weight loss, lowers blood cholesterol or protects the skin from sun exposure.
NCCAM is funding research to determine if active ingredients in green tea may affect the treatment of heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
What to Look for
If you know that you do not respond well to even very low levels of caffeine, forgo green teas. For people sensitive to caffeine, the heart rate can become elevated, and dizziness, nausea and other discomforts can arise from drinking green teas. Consult your physician or your nutritionist if your interest is weight loss.
If you find that green teas are appropriate for you, look for organic teas. As with many other herbs and foods, agribusiness involves the widespread use of pesticides that have been shown to be harmful to one's health. And you cannot rinse off these pesticides from tea leaves as you might be able to with an apple or carrot.
Loose leaf tea is fine, but tea bags are far more practical. If you normally drink coffee for its caffeine boost, you might find that green teas have enough caffeine to give you a charge throughout the day.
Common Pitfalls
Do not believe the media hype of any lists of "super foods" or "super herbs" that make you want to race to the health food store and stockpile on any particular food or herb. Green tea is no exception. As with coffee, it is not everyone's cup of tea, nor is it necessarily appropriate for you.
Consult your physician or nutritionist for the best advice. Certainly if you are pregnant or nursing, consult your doctor.
If you are interested in weight loss, get a physical exam and follow your physician's advice. If you want to boost your energy levels, a change in diet and adding short, regular bouts of low-intensity
exercise like walking might do the trick.
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