With the exception of water, tea is the most commonly consumed drink on the planet, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Japanese green tea has had a surge of popularity in the West, thanks to its many purported health benefits. These benefits may be attributable largely to antioxidants found in green tea that are called polyphenols.
Antioxidants
The body's cells are vulnerable to bombardment by free radicals, unstable molecules formed by both toxic influences and the natural processes of metabolism. Free radicals are known to cause damage on a cellular level. Antioxidants, such as polyphenols found in Japanese green tea, can neutralize free radicals so they are no longer a threat to your cells.
Polyphenols
Polyphenols are a type of antioxidant present in foods such as green tea, red wine, cinnamon and chocolate. These antioxidants can slow the accumulation of fatty deposits in your arterial walls, thus favorably influencing cardiovascular health. New York University's Langone Medical Center states that green tea polyphenols have cancer-fighting and antibiotic properties as well. Reports that green tea polyphenols can aid in weight loss may be premature, and NYU notes that research into this effect has produced conflicting results.
Green Tea Polyphenol Extract
Fermentation describes the process tea leaves undergo to become black tea. This process destroys the tea's polyphenols. Green teas are unfermented, thus have higher concentrations of polyphenols. Polyphenol extract is created by isolating the polyphenols in green tea. There are a number of polyphenols in green tea, but the main polyphenol is called epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG. NYU cautions, however that the benefits of over-the-counter polyphenol extracts have yet to be scientifically proven and that drinking green tea itself may be a better approach to obtaining polyphenols, because of safety concerns.
Polyphenol Extract and Safety
Do not take green tea polyphenol extract without consulting your doctor. NYU states that green tea extract has been associated with liver inflammation in a number of cases and has resulted in organ failure requiring liver transplantation in at least two cases. To get the health benefits of Japanese green tea, drink the tea itself.
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