| The Chinese have known about the medicinal | | | | burned more calories than those given only |
| benefits of green tea for over 4,000 years. But | | | | caffeine or a placebo. |
| recent studies are just starting to unlock these | | | | It has also been shown that drinking green tea |
| ancient secrets of green tea. | | | | can give your body a greater ability to fight |
| Today, a great deal of research is being carried | | | | infection and kill bacteria. |
| out about green tea health benefits and the | | | | Green tea can even help prevent tooth decay. Its |
| findings are very exciting. | | | | bacteria-destroying abilities kill the bacteria that |
| Here are just a few medical conditions that | | | | causes dental plaque and aids the immune system |
| drinking green tea is reputed to be helpful with: | | | | with its antifungal properties by improving |
| Cancer | | | | digestive function. |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | | | | You may be asking if other Chinese teas offer |
| High cholesterol levels | | | | similar health benefits. But the answer is no. |
| Cardiovascular disease | | | | Although green, oolong, and black teas all come |
| Infection | | | | from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, the |
| Impaired immune function | | | | way green tea is processed is what sets them |
| Controlling high blood pressure | | | | apart. |
| Lowering blood sugar | | | | Green tea leaves are steamed, and that prevents |
| Researchers believe the real secret of green tea | | | | the EGCG compound from being oxidized. Black |
| lies in the fact that it is rich in EGCG which is a | | | | and oolong tea leaves are made from fermented |
| powerful anti-oxidant. EGCG has been found to kill | | | | leaves, which converts the EGCG into other |
| cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. | | | | compounds. This process makes oolong and black |
| A University of Purdue study recently concluded | | | | teas much less effective in preventing and fighting |
| that a compound in green tea actually inhibits the | | | | various diseases. |
| growth of cancer cells. | | | | So how much green tea should you drink? There |
| Red wine has been long studied because it | | | | are as many answers to this question as there |
| contains resveratrol, a polyphenol that limits the | | | | are researchers investigating the health properties |
| negative effects of smoking and a fatty diet. | | | | of green tea. |
| But researchers from the University of Kansas | | | | While some companies selling green tea say that |
| determined that EGCG is twice as powerful as | | | | ten cups per day are necessary to reap the |
| resveratrol, which may explain why the rate of | | | | maximum benefits, a University of California study |
| heart disease among Japanese and French men is | | | | on the cancer-preventative qualities of green tea |
| quite low, even though approximately | | | | concluded that you could probably attain the |
| seventy-five percent of them are smokers. | | | | desired level of polyphenols by drinking two cups |
| Research also indicates that drinking green tea | | | | a day. |
| lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as improving | | | | The research of this ancient beverage continues, |
| the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) | | | | and it may take decades to unlock all of the |
| cholesterol. | | | | secrets it holds. Although green tea should not be |
| But the health benefits of green tea don't end | | | | considered to be a magic bullet, researchers agree |
| there. Green tea has been found to inhibit the | | | | the positive health benefits are very promising. |
| abnormal formation of blood clots which is the | | | | Copyright © 2004 Perfect All Rights |
| leading cause of heart attacks and stroke. | | | | Reserved. |
| New studies have actually shown that green tea | | | | This article may be re-published "as is" (unedited) |
| can even help you loose weight. The American | | | | as long as the author's bio paragraph (resource |
| Journal of Clinical Nutrition performed a study at | | | | box) and copyright information is included. The |
| the University of Geneva in Switzerland. | | | | URLs in the resource box should be set as |
| Researchers found that men who were given a | | | | hyperlinks if used on a web page. |
| combination of caffeine and green tea extract | | | | |