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Green tea - to your health
Author: Kathy Shattler - examiner.com - 2009-06-15
Green tea is made from the dried leaves of a perennial evergreen shrub. It has a long history of use dating back to China approximately 5,000 years ago. Green tea, black tea and oolong tea are all made from the same plant.
The tea has historically been used to induce alertness and was introduced to Western cultures in the 6th century by Turkish traders.
There is limited evidence that green tea is useful in:
- Anxiety
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Cancer
- Cardiovascular conditions
- Common cold prevention
- Dental cavity prevention
- Diabetes
- High cholesterol
- Hypertension
- Hypertriglyceridemia
- Menopausal symptoms
- Mental performance/alertness
- Photoprotection
- Viral infection (human T-cell lymphocytic virus)
- Weight Loss
Benefits have not been established for any specific dosage although historical data exists and limited evidence has been gathered by using the brewed beverage as opposed to a capsule form. One cup of tea has approximately 80-100 mg of polyphenols in it; polyphenols being potent antioxidants.
Green tea also has a substance called EGCG in it. In a study cited recently by Science Daily, EGCG is an important immune system agonist playing a huge role in the immune system response to bacterial infection.
Study results recently showed evidence of greater weight loss in a green tea study arm than an oolong study arm. Results were noted for the green tea group such as
- Greater weight loss
- Decreased body mass index
- Decreased total body fat
- Lowered "LDL" or bad cholesterol
Dosage used in the studies was approximately 4-6 cups per day. Mechanism of action for the weight loss was attributed to the synergistic effect of EGCG and caffeine resulting in an increased metabolism. The antioxidant effects of green tea cannot be ignored.
Clearly, more studies are needed to determine genuine effectiveness of green tea in numerous ailments, mechanism of action when results are determined, and a standardized dosage for each condition being treated.
Reference: Natural Standard Database, http://www.naturalstandard.com, accessed 6/14/09.
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