The Health Benefits of
Drinking Green or Black Tea
September 10th 2005
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Tea Leaves |
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A green and lush oasis in the middle of a
scorching dessert. A cool breeze on a hot summer night. A bright light
in the end of a cold and dark tunnel. Green tea and cholesterol.
For the millions and millions of people suffering from high cholesterol
green tea may be that light. You can browse and search the Internet for
topics on green tea and cholesterol and would come up with hundred of
hits.
Cholesterol, triglycerides, the protein apoB in LDLs, are words dreaded
by humans of the modern age. This new century is expected to become the
century of medical miracles, the green tea, lowly as it may sound looks
very promising as several researches have shown. This could be the
decade of green tea and cholesterol.
More good news is it's not just green tea and cholesterol; it's also
green tea and cancer. Several studies have shown that the antioxidants
are present in green tea. The Journal of the National Cancer Institute
published the results of an epidemiological study indicating that
drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men
and women by nearly sixty percent.
Another research done by the University of Purdue
researchers recently concluded that a compound in green tea inhibits the
growth of cancer cells. In another study by the University of Kansas
determined that EGCG may explain why the rate of heart disease among
Japanese men is quite low, even though approximately seventy-five
percent are smokers.
And more good news! It's not just green tea and cholesterol; it's also
green tea and high blood pressure. Habitually drinking 5 to 10 cups a
day of green tea lowers high blood pressure.
For more that 4,000 years the Chinese have known about the medicinal
benefits of green tea since using it to treat everything from headaches
to depression. So it's not just green tea and cholesterol; it's also
green tea and depression!
Drinking green also is reported to be helpful with rheumatoid arthritis,
Cardiovascular disease, infection, and impaired immune function.
Green tea is rich in catechin polyphenols, especially
epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a good anti-cancer element.
Polyphenol limits the negative effects of smoking and a fatty diet.
There's more! It's not just green tea and cholesterol; it's also green
tea and weight loss. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
published a report that found out that men who were given a combination
of caffeine and green tea extract burned more calories than those given
only caffeine.
How about green tea and tooth decay anyone? Its bacteria-destroying
abilities kill the bacteria that cause dental decay. So it's not just
green tea and cholesterol, it's also green tea and bacteria.
Why is it that it's green tea and cholesterol not oolong tea or black
tea? As we all know there are 3 types of tea, green, oolong and black.
All of these come from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. But
why green? Green tea leaves are steamed, which prevents the EGCG
compound from being oxidized while black and oolong tea leaves are made
from dried or fermented leaves, which causes loss of EGCG.
We should have learned speaking mandarin or fukien a long time ago and
got to know green tea and cholesterol lowering the Chinese way.
There is more to green tea and cholesterol, search the web and get to
know more of the heath benefits you may get from green tea. Does anyone
know how to say green tea in Chinese?
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By
Lorraine Bevere
Lorrain is well known for documenting the amazing
qualities of green tea.
Books about Tea
Keywords and misspellings: Tea tee green grean
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