Take a few moments to relax with a pot of green tea. Wrap your hands around the warm cup and inhale the fragrance -- jasmine flowers, green grass or perhaps a hint of fruitiness. Take the first sip and savor it. Some green teas taste slightly sweet; others are more astringent. People have been drinking green tea for thousands of years, and there are different varieties for every mood and type of occasion. But it is far more than just a warm, comforting beverage: Green tea is loaded with antioxidants, more so than black tea because it undergoes less processing.
What Antioxidants Do
The antioxidants in green tea protect cells against the damage caused by free radicals, unstable atoms or molecules that are produced when your body breaks down food or when you are exposed to toxins in the environment such as smog or tobacco smoke. They are unstable because they have unpaired electrons, and they damage cells and even DNA by taking their electrons, leading to aging, cancer, heart disease and other health problems.
Antioxidants interact with free radicals and stabilize them by donating an electron. Once their electrons are paired, the free radicals become stable and do not cause damage to cells.
The main antioxidants in green tea are catechins, types of flavonoids or polyphenols.
Health Benefits
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, countries such as Japan, where people consume a lot of green tea, tend to have lower cancer rates. The polyphenols in green tea may inhibit growth of cancer cells.
Drinking green tea may also lead to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels as well as raise HDL, the good cholesterol.
Green tea also inhibits the growth of oral bacteria and reduces tooth decay.
Yale-New Haven Hospital reports that green tea reduces breakdown of neurotransmitters, helping prevent diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
Weight Loss
Besides strengthening the body's defenses against disease by cleaning up free radicals, the catechins in green tea help with weight loss by increasing levels of fat oxidation and increasing body heat, according to the Department of Human Nutrition and Health in Switzerland. Green tea boosts the metabolic rate and reduces fat absorption.
Some Varieties of Green Tea
Japanese green teas include sencha, which has a grassy fragrance and flavor, and matcha, a powdered green tea. This is the tea used in the Japanese tea ceremony. The powder, rich in antioxidants, drifts down to the bottom of the cup and is meant to be consumed along with the tea.
Dragon Well is a delicious Chinese green tea. It has a sweet fragrance and a delicate taste. Green Jade has a warm, nutty fragrance and a mild grassy flavor.
Warning
If you add milk to tea, it may block the antioxidant effects. Sugar or honey and lemon are okay.
Green tea does contain caffeine, though less than coffee and regular black tea. If you are sensitive to caffeine, ask your doctor before drinking this beverage.
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