Among the many health benefits attributed to green tea is that it aids digestion. In Chinese medicine and Indian Ayurvedic medicine, green tea has been used for digestion for thousands of years, but Western science has only begun to investigate the mechanisms by which green tea may help digestion. While limited studies have been done on green tea's direct effects on digestion, several studies investigating particular green tea components, such as catechins, and properties, such as anti-inflammatory activity, have shed light on how green tea may aid digestion.
Antioxidants
Green tea is rich in antioxidants that help prevent cellular degradation and therefore promote optimal functioning of all bodily systems, including digestion. Antioxidants such as the polyphenols found in green tea help keep the body free of toxins and waste. They also fight off any bacteria or viruses that may have colonized the gastrointestinal system and compromised digestion.
Catechins
Catechins are one type of polyphenol antioxidants contained in green tea that have been associated with reduced risk of cancers of the stomach, colon and other parts of the gastrointestinal tract. Ironically, a joint study by Ohio State and Purdue Universities found that digestion caused the breakdown of catechins, reducing their anticancer activity. However, another study by the same laboratory found that adding ascorbic acid or citrus juice, such as lemon juice, to green tea effectively prevented the digestive breakdown of these catechins and thus retained their properties to ward off gastrointestinal cancers.
EGCG
Epigallocatechin gallate, more commonly known as EGCG, is also one of the most powerful polyphenols that green tea contains. EGCG is particularly beneficial in reducing inflammation of the stomach, which in turn may aid in digestion. Studies on EGCG in relation to weight loss, such as one published in 2006 in "Molecular Nutrition And Food Research," have found that it also may inhibit absorption of fat, reduce the proliferation of fat cells and increase fat oxidation, resulting in reduced body fat and decrease overall body mass.
Thermogenesis
Thermogenesis is the process by which the body produces heat and is closely tied in with metabolism and digestion. Research reported in 2000 in the "International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders" found that both the caffeine and polyphenol catechins in green tea, due to their shared abilities to inhibit enzymes that break down noradrenaline, may stimulate and prolong thermogenesis to the point of helping to manage obesity.
References
- "Science Daily"; Digestive Process Affects Anti-cancer Activity Of Tea In Gastrointestinal Cells; Apr 2008
- "Molecular Nutrition And Food Research"; Anti-obesity Effects Of Green Tea: From Bedside To Bench; S. Wolfram, et al.; Feb 2006
- "International Journal Of Obesity And Related Metabolic Disorders"; Green Tea And Thermogenesis: Interactions Between Catechin-Polyphenols, Caffeine And Sympathetic Activity; A.G. Dulloo, et al.; Feb 2000
- "Life Extension Magazine"; Green Tea: Natural Support For Healthy Weight Control; David Nayor; Apr 2007
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