For connoisseurs of tea, the mild and fragrant bouquet of green tea may bring to mind its rich, exotic history and its tender, less processed leaves. Green tea requires a more refined palate than the bolder black teas we grew up with, and its delicate aroma puts us more in mind of a Japanese tea garden than a British afternoon ritual with crumpets. But to think of the benefits of green tea, or any variety of tea, in only this way is to miss the point altogether of why tea flourished centuries ago under a Chinese moon.
Tea was first harvested and drunk in China for its health benefits, and it continued to be hailed as a therapeutic remedy throughout Europe and to the farther West. Even so, in Europe of the 1700s and 1800s, the health benefits of tea were extolled in some circles, but had its detractors, too, who warned of all manner of tea properties deleterious to one’s health.
Since then, of course, suspicions regarding the ill effects of tea have been laid to rest. Over the last couple decades, when green tea was introduced to the Western world on a large scale, we learned, first, that it had a lovely, mild flavor, but also that the benefits of green tea included better health, younger skin and longer lives. Could green tea be our ticket to the mystical realm of Shangri-La?
Modern science has now confirmed what ancient cultures knew all along – green tea is good for you, boasting a number of health benefits.
The list of ailments green tea can cure or prevent are so numerous as to verge on the unbelievable. It’s no wonder that tea drinkers of the past attributed almost magical qualities to the brew. Green tea was thought to cure digestive problems, heal wounds, purify the blood and detoxify poisons. Some praised it for its calming properties, others for its invigorating effect. While green tea came to us with anecdotal support for its reputation, it took 20th and 21st century science to provide much-needed proof. Scientists continue to investigate claims of its health advantages, but study after study has shown that drinking green tea has curative or preventative powers. Green tea can:
Reduce cholesterol
Shrink tumors/cause cancerous cells to die
Improve blood vessel function
Slow the passage of glucose in diabetics and regulate insulin levels
Lower blood pressure
Reduce triglycerides
Provide protection against heart attack and stroke
Act as an anti-inflammatory and promotes the growth of good bacteria in the intestine
Staves off Alzheimer’s – investigations taking place suggest it may work on Parkinson’s as well
Inhibit viral infections
Fight bad breath
Prevent aging
Trigger weight loss
How is this possible? Scientists attribute the miraculous healing benefits of green tea to the high concentration of antioxidants found in both the tea leaves in the wild and the steeped tea that we drink.
You may have heard of free radicals, the atoms that are believed to accelerate aging, damage skin, and contribute to atherosclerosis, liver disease, emphysema and some types of cancer. Basically, free radicals are molecular components – atoms – with a missing electron. Free radicals, which are unstable without an even number of electrons, bond with other molecules and steal their electrons, leaving damaged cells behind. Free radicals are necessary and have their place in human biology, but the types that cause cell, DNA, and mitochondrial damage, the effects of which are believed to be cumulative, must be rendered nonreactive (inert) to stem the tide of destruction. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, putting an end to their reactivity in our bodies. Generally, we eat our antioxidants as they are found in fruits and vegetables, and, not surprisingly, in tea. But studies show that green tea has 8-10 times more antioxidants than fruits and vegetables, another reason to cultivate the tea-drinking habit.
Vitamins C and E are particularly effective as free radical-neutralizing antioxidants. Green tea contains high levels of vitamin C (comparable to that of a lemon), which is found in and utilized by every cell in the body. High levels of vitamin C are used in some cancer therapies and are suggested for combatting or shortening colds. The B vitamins in green tea contribute to its calming, stabilizing effects. Green tea also contains riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, and pantothenic acid, magnesium, potassium, and manganese, in varying amounts. Green tea contains more fluoride per cup than the amount in a cup of fluorinated water. It’s the fluoride in green tea that helps combat bad breath. More significantly, a particular antioxidant compound in green tea with the long name “epigallocatechin gallate” or “EGCG“ has been shown to be 100 times more effective than vitamin C and 25 times more effective than vitamin E.
The health benefits of green tea listed above address underlying conditions that contribute to ill health, premature aging and early death. Scientific research now shows that those conditions (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, malignant tumors, blocked blood vessels and the like) can all be alleviated or eliminated by ingesting antioxidants.
It’s still a good idea to eat your five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, but 5-8 cups of green tea a day will provide your body with the higher concentrations of antioxidants needed not only for good health, but for the best health ever!