Green tea continues to be the subject of human research trials to determine its effect on numerous health conditions, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Although not enough exhaustive research has been performed to conclusively confirm its effectiveness, some of the initial evidence seems to indicate that chemicals called polyphenols, which are present in green tea, have protective benefits that may help ward off a slew of damaging health conditions throughout the body.
Cardiovascular Protection
In societies where at least three cups of tea are consumed daily, the risk of heart attack is 11 percent lower, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Green tea may help heart health by warding off hardening of the coronary arteries. The mechanisms by which green tea has this effect are unclear, but involve its ability to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
The George Mateljan Foundation further reports that women who drink at least five cups of green tea daily have a 62 percent lower risk of death due to stroke. In men who drank that amount, their risk of death due to stroke declined by 42 percent. A meta-analysis of the available data pertaining to stroke and green tea consumption performed by Lenore Arab, PhD of UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine in 2008, concluded that daily consumption of at least three cups of green tea could prevent the onset of stroke.
Treatment of Genital Warts
The Food and Drug administration has approved Veregen, an ointment containing green tea extract, as a treatment for genital warts, according to Medline Plus. The University of Maryland Medical Center adds that a standardized extract of 250 to 500mg of green tea extract, taken daily, may help treat genital warts due to the antioxidant properties of green tea. Caffeine-free green teas prepared are also suggested as a way of strengthening and toning the body's ability to fight off the virus that causes genital warts.
Cancer Prevention
Green tea has generated a lot of interest as a potential addition to the ever-growing arsenal of cancer-fighting foods. In the April 2010 issue of the journal "Chinese Medicine," Sabu M. Chacko of the NPO International Laboratory of Biochemistry in Japan explains that animal and experimental studies have indicated its effectiveness in slowing the proliferation of liver cancers, the prevention of breast cancers, and the suppression of tumors. Some human population studies and clinical trials seem to confirms these findings, others do not.
The National Cancer Institute is currently investigating the effectiveness of green tea as a cancer fighter, and notes that inconsistencies in the results of epidemiological studies of the effects of green tea on cancer may be due to dietary, environmental and population differences.
References
- American Academy of Family Physicians: Green Tea: Potential Health Benefits
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Green Tea
- The World's Healthiest Foods: Green Tea
- "Stroke"; Green and Black Tea Consumption and Risk of Stroke: A Meta-Analysis; Lenore Arab et al; 2009
- MedlinePlus: Green Tea
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Warts
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