Time has come to say, few cups a day — keep the doctor away. I am talking about green tea.
It is produced from the leaves of Camellia Sinensis by some special processes. High in vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and a whole swing of anti-aging and cancer fighting compounds, green tea is great. It is wildly being used as a significant part of a healthy diet.
Antioxidants are an important factor in achieving finest health. An antioxidant known as Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) is at least 100 times more effective than vitamin C and 25 times more effective than vitamin E at protecting cells from harmful influence.
Ancient Chinese people have always used it for medical purposes and it is a part of Chinese history. In Japanese tradition, learned scholars wrote whole volumes on the importance of green tea.
Recent studies show that green tea restrains the spread of disease. It has a variety of antibacterial and antiviral properties. It is good to fight against cold to food poisoning. It is good for oral hygiene as it destroys bacteria that cause plaque and bad breath. It closes main receptors that produce allergic reactions.
Studies show that drinking green tea is related to reductions in body fat. According to one Study, green tea can burn 35-43 per cent more fat during the day when one drinks 3-5 cups.
The University of Chicago’s Tang Center for Herbal Medical study shows that it reduces the fat deposits under the skin and in our belly area. Researchers found that Green tea prevents one from gaining weight by stopping the movement of sugar into body’s fat cells and also burns fat by increasing body metabolism.
The International Journal of Obesity states that green tea contains polyphenols which causes body to produce heat that burn body fat. Several polyphenols also keep cancer cells from gaining a foothold in the body. Study after study has found that drinking regular green tea can decrease the risk of breast, stomach, esophagus, colon, and/or prostate cancer. Some green tea studies prove that it lowers blood sugar.
Green tea is involved in reducing thrombosis cases — one of the main causes of strokes and heart attacks. It reduces the level of cholesterol in blood and improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol. It also reduces high blood pressure by repressing angiotensin-II. Polyphenols keep blood vessels from contracting and raising blood pressure. It is said to be useful to treat impaired immune function and rheumatoid arthritis. Green tea also destroys free radicals that cause aging.
Source: The Daily Star, January 10, 2008
