Green Tea Health Benefits
by Lorraine Bevere
http://www.fogtea.com
The Chinese have known about Green tea as a powerful
medication for at least 4000 years. According to legend,
tea was discovered by a Chinese emperor called Shen Nung.
Some tea leaves accidentally fell into boiling water, and
he tried it and found it invigorating. Green tea became
part of the Chinese diet and many important health benefits
were attributed to it. Now recent medical studies in both
asia and the west are providing a scientific basis for the
claim that drinking green tea has very significant health
benefits.
Green tea, like black tea is made from the leaves of the
plant Camellia sinensis. The difference between the three
main types of tea is the way that they are produced. Green
tea is unfermented tea meaning that the leaves used for
green tea are steamed soon after been plucked in order to
prevent the oxidation of the leaves. In this way the leaves
remain green and the active substances within the leaves
retain their qualities. Black teas on the other hand are
made from fermented leaves and as a result have less
nutritional and enzyme content as the green tea. Thus green
and black teas have different chemical properties.
Modern science has in recent times been able to
demonstrate that green tea is beneficial to one's health
and this is mainly due to the fact that tea contains high
levels of antioxidants called polyphenols or flavonoids.
The antioxidant activity of tea has been compared to that
of fruit and vegetables in a number of studies. One study
concluded that consuming three cups of tea a day produced a
similar amount of antioxidants as eating six apples.
Antioxidants help your body fight against free radicals
which cause damage to cells and tisuues in your body.
While all tea is healthy to drink, it is green tea that
contains the highest level of flavonoids. Recent medical
studies suggest green tea to be beneficial in many areas
including the following:
-Digestive and respiratory health.
-Lowers cholesterol levels
-Boosts your immune system
-Reduces high blood pressure
-Arthritis - anti-inflammatory effect.
-Oral hygiene - due to antibacterial properties.
-Skin conditions such as acne
-Lowers blood sugar
Another potential benefit is in the area of weight loss.
Research recently published in the American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition suggests that an extract from green tea
may speed up fat oxidation. Ten healthy men in their 20's
were studied for 6 weeks and it was discovered that those
men who were given a green tea extract used more calories
in a day than those who did not. This appears to be due to
green tea having thermogenic properties thus causing the
body to burn fat faster than usual. One word of caution
though - if you need to lose weight - and all you do is
drink green tea without making any other lifestyle changes
then do not expect an instant miracle! However green tea
combined with a healthy balanced diet and regular exercise
provides will help you in your weight loss program.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Does Green Tea Offer the Prescription for Beating Cancer?
Does Green Tea Offer the Prescription for Beating Cancer?
With early detection, cancer is no longer an automatic death sentence. However, an initial diagnosis still brings with it a host of questions: What is the best course of treatment? Are conventional approaches best? Or are non-traditional therapies preferable—particularly if the cancer does not seem to respond to chemotherapy and radiation.
In recent years, a great deal of emphasis has been placed on unconventional therapies for cancer. For instance, in an article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, Elizabeth Kaegi of the Task Force on Alternative Therapies of the Canadian Breast Cancer Research Initiative discussed the fact that cancer patients are trying a number of intriguing therapies, including Essiac, Iscador, hydrazine sulfate, vitamins A, C, and E, and 714-X. But perhaps one of the most popular therapies that has been tried is green tea. In fact, go to your local convenience store and you may find jug after jug of green tea in assorted flavors. Still, you may be wondering what makes green tea so special—and if it really can help to combat cancer.
Green Tea—The Basics
Green tea is produced by steaming or frying the leaves of the shrub known as Camellia sinensis. The leaves, which are not fermented, are then dried. For 5,000 years, families in China and Japan have hailed green tea as a valuable stimulant and an effective remedy for stomach ailments. You can even purchase green tea in capsule form now, although the actual medicinal benefits from such capsules have yet to be established.
Dried tea leaves are far more complex than you might think. Specifically, they are made up of phytochemicals, plant alkaloids, proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, phenolic acids, and minerals. Of course, the exact composition of the leaves varies, depending on when the leaves are harvested and how they are processed. You should also be aware of the fact that the composition of green tea varies from that of black tea, since black tea has fewer polyphenols because of the fermentation process.
Side Effects
Green tea can contain anywhere from 10 to 80 milligrams of caffeine—the actual amount depends on how it has been produced and stored. Since caffeine is a known stimulant, green tea may lead to a racing heart rate and insomnia. As a result, heart patients, pregnant women, and nursing mothers should ideally drink no more than two cups of green tea a day.
Cancer Prevention
Numerous scientific studies have explored the use of green tea as a cancer preventative. According to Kaegi, digestive cancers appear to be particularly responsive to green tea. In fact, such tea appears to somewhat decrease the risk of experiencing cancer of the digestive tract. Given the fact that such conclusions are the result of a number of epidemiological studies, it appears that the idea that green tea can prevent cancer has some merit.
News from the Lab
But what about treating cancer? Can green tea be as effective in treatment as it is in prevention? There has been some limited lab work investigating the possibility that green tea can be used as an alternative form of cancer treatment. However, at this point, there have only been a few animal studies and no human studies. The results of these studies are, at this point, inconclusive.
Yet, it should be noted that one study showed that, if extracts of green tea are applied to mouse skin, it appears to stop the development of skin cancer when known carcinogens have been applied to the skin. Other research indicates that green tea can stop the growth of tumors or decrease the number of tumors in animals that have been exposed to cancer-causing agents.
In some animals, green tea and tea extracts prevented cancer cells from metastasizing. There are also indications that green tea extracts can prevent chromosomal abnormalities that can lead to cancer, as well as reduce the size of breast and prostate tumors.
The Magic of EGCG
Green tea contains an antioxidant known as epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG. This substance appears to inhibit enzymes which are responsible for cell replication, stop the adhesion of cells, and disrupt the communication pathways which enable cell division to occur. However, EGCG seems to be most critically important as an antioxidant.
Final Conclusions
Researchers believe that there is evidence to suggest that green tea can be used to treat cancer. However, scientists add that additional research is absolutely essential in order to determine the full range of treatment that green tea might provide. For instance, researchers must determine which cancers are most likely to be abated through the use of green tea or green tea extracts.
Since there is also evidence to indicate that green tea can prevent cancer as well, drinking green tea is not only safe—it’s also highly recommended by some medical experts. Therefore, green tea may not just be a thirst-quencher—it may also be a key ingredient of a healthy diet.
About the Author: Jon M. Stout is Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. For more information about tea, green tea and wu long tea go to http://www.goldenmoontea.com
With early detection, cancer is no longer an automatic death sentence. However, an initial diagnosis still brings with it a host of questions: What is the best course of treatment? Are conventional approaches best? Or are non-traditional therapies preferable—particularly if the cancer does not seem to respond to chemotherapy and radiation.
In recent years, a great deal of emphasis has been placed on unconventional therapies for cancer. For instance, in an article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, Elizabeth Kaegi of the Task Force on Alternative Therapies of the Canadian Breast Cancer Research Initiative discussed the fact that cancer patients are trying a number of intriguing therapies, including Essiac, Iscador, hydrazine sulfate, vitamins A, C, and E, and 714-X. But perhaps one of the most popular therapies that has been tried is green tea. In fact, go to your local convenience store and you may find jug after jug of green tea in assorted flavors. Still, you may be wondering what makes green tea so special—and if it really can help to combat cancer.
Green Tea—The Basics
Green tea is produced by steaming or frying the leaves of the shrub known as Camellia sinensis. The leaves, which are not fermented, are then dried. For 5,000 years, families in China and Japan have hailed green tea as a valuable stimulant and an effective remedy for stomach ailments. You can even purchase green tea in capsule form now, although the actual medicinal benefits from such capsules have yet to be established.
Dried tea leaves are far more complex than you might think. Specifically, they are made up of phytochemicals, plant alkaloids, proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, phenolic acids, and minerals. Of course, the exact composition of the leaves varies, depending on when the leaves are harvested and how they are processed. You should also be aware of the fact that the composition of green tea varies from that of black tea, since black tea has fewer polyphenols because of the fermentation process.
Side Effects
Green tea can contain anywhere from 10 to 80 milligrams of caffeine—the actual amount depends on how it has been produced and stored. Since caffeine is a known stimulant, green tea may lead to a racing heart rate and insomnia. As a result, heart patients, pregnant women, and nursing mothers should ideally drink no more than two cups of green tea a day.
Cancer Prevention
Numerous scientific studies have explored the use of green tea as a cancer preventative. According to Kaegi, digestive cancers appear to be particularly responsive to green tea. In fact, such tea appears to somewhat decrease the risk of experiencing cancer of the digestive tract. Given the fact that such conclusions are the result of a number of epidemiological studies, it appears that the idea that green tea can prevent cancer has some merit.
News from the Lab
But what about treating cancer? Can green tea be as effective in treatment as it is in prevention? There has been some limited lab work investigating the possibility that green tea can be used as an alternative form of cancer treatment. However, at this point, there have only been a few animal studies and no human studies. The results of these studies are, at this point, inconclusive.
Yet, it should be noted that one study showed that, if extracts of green tea are applied to mouse skin, it appears to stop the development of skin cancer when known carcinogens have been applied to the skin. Other research indicates that green tea can stop the growth of tumors or decrease the number of tumors in animals that have been exposed to cancer-causing agents.
In some animals, green tea and tea extracts prevented cancer cells from metastasizing. There are also indications that green tea extracts can prevent chromosomal abnormalities that can lead to cancer, as well as reduce the size of breast and prostate tumors.
The Magic of EGCG
Green tea contains an antioxidant known as epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG. This substance appears to inhibit enzymes which are responsible for cell replication, stop the adhesion of cells, and disrupt the communication pathways which enable cell division to occur. However, EGCG seems to be most critically important as an antioxidant.
Final Conclusions
Researchers believe that there is evidence to suggest that green tea can be used to treat cancer. However, scientists add that additional research is absolutely essential in order to determine the full range of treatment that green tea might provide. For instance, researchers must determine which cancers are most likely to be abated through the use of green tea or green tea extracts.
Since there is also evidence to indicate that green tea can prevent cancer as well, drinking green tea is not only safe—it’s also highly recommended by some medical experts. Therefore, green tea may not just be a thirst-quencher—it may also be a key ingredient of a healthy diet.
About the Author: Jon M. Stout is Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. For more information about tea, green tea and wu long tea go to http://www.goldenmoontea.com
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Green Tea May Help Brain Cope With Sleep Disorders
- THURSDAY, May 22 (HealthDay News) — Green tea may counter the
cognitive problems that come with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a new
study suggests.
Green tea polyphenols (GTP) appear to negate the increased oxidative
stress that affects brain tissue in areas involved in learning and memory
in people with OSA, reports the study, published in the second issue for
May of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care
Medicine. GTPs are known to possess antioxidant properties.
The conclusion is based on giving drinking water laced with GTP to rats
intermittently deprived of oxygen during 12-hour “night” cycles — a
condition that mimics the intermittent hypoxia (IH) that humans with OSA
experience. The rats that drank green tea-treated water performed
significantly better in a maze than rats that consumed plain water.
“GTP-treated rats exposed to IH displayed significantly greater spatial
bias for the previous hidden platform position, indicating that GTPs are
capable of attenuating IH-induced spatial learning deficits,” lead author
Dr. David Gozal, director of Kosair Children's Hospital Research Institute
at the University of Louisville, said in a prepared statement. He added
that GTPs “may represent a potential interventional strategy for patients”
with sleep-disordered breathing.
“OSA has been increasingly recognized as a serious and frequent health
condition with potential long-term morbidities that include learning and
psychological disabilities,” Gozal said. “A growing body of evidence
suggests that the adverse neurobehavioral consequences imposed by IH stem,
at least in part, from oxidative stress and inflammatory signaling
cascades.”
More information
The U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has
more about green tea.
cognitive problems that come with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a new
study suggests.
Green tea polyphenols (GTP) appear to negate the increased oxidative
stress that affects brain tissue in areas involved in learning and memory
in people with OSA, reports the study, published in the second issue for
May of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care
Medicine. GTPs are known to possess antioxidant properties.
The conclusion is based on giving drinking water laced with GTP to rats
intermittently deprived of oxygen during 12-hour “night” cycles — a
condition that mimics the intermittent hypoxia (IH) that humans with OSA
experience. The rats that drank green tea-treated water performed
significantly better in a maze than rats that consumed plain water.
“GTP-treated rats exposed to IH displayed significantly greater spatial
bias for the previous hidden platform position, indicating that GTPs are
capable of attenuating IH-induced spatial learning deficits,” lead author
Dr. David Gozal, director of Kosair Children's Hospital Research Institute
at the University of Louisville, said in a prepared statement. He added
that GTPs “may represent a potential interventional strategy for patients”
with sleep-disordered breathing.
“OSA has been increasingly recognized as a serious and frequent health
condition with potential long-term morbidities that include learning and
psychological disabilities,” Gozal said. “A growing body of evidence
suggests that the adverse neurobehavioral consequences imposed by IH stem,
at least in part, from oxidative stress and inflammatory signaling
cascades.”
More information
The U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has
more about green tea.
Green Tea: The Best Medicine for High Cholesterol?
Green Tea: The Best Medicine for High Cholesterol?
Tea was reportedly discovered by a Chinese emperor some 40 centuries ago. And, legend has it, the discovery was purely by accident. But that coincidental discovery has improved the health of people around the world, who have turned to green tea in particular to help soothe their pains, improve their digestion, alleviate their depression, boost their immune system, and perhaps even lengthen their lives. But what is it that makes green tea so beneficial to human health?
The Ingredients of Success
Green tea is actually made up of a variety of ingredients. These include caffeine, vitamins, minerals, and oils. However, the most important ingredients are the polyphenols, especially one called EGCG, which is believed to improve health. In fact, it is the polyphenols which make green tea so much more effective than other beverages in fighting disease and illness.
Green Tea and Cholesterol
There have been some intriguing studies indicating that green tea can be effective in the fight against high cholesterol. Specifically, the beverage reduces “bad” cholesterol and boosts “good” cholesterol, improving an individual’s overall cholesterol profile.
In addition, green tea appears to lower overall cholesterol levels, helping to reduce one’s risk of developing heart disease. Similarly, green tea enhances cardiovascular health by improving the consistency of platelets in the blood.
Researchers have also found that green tea appears to protect against oxygen-induced damage to bad cholesterol. Drinking green tea also seems to enhance antioxidant processes in the bloodstream.
Effect of Green Tea on Blood Fats
In recent years, much attention has been focused on blood fats and the effects of diet and exercise on their consistency. In an interesting study conducted at the Department of Public Health at the National Defense Medical College in Saitama, Japan, researchers S. Kono, K. Shinchi, N. Ikeda, F. Yanai, and K. Imanishi investigated the impact of green tea consumption on blood fats, also known as serum lipids.
The study was published in an article entitled, “Tea Consumption and Serum Lipid Profiles: a Cross-Sectional Study in Northern Kyushu, Japan.”
Specifically, the researchers examined the correlation between green tea use and the serum lipid concentrations of more than 1300 men who underwent retirement health exams at the Self-Defense Forces Fukuoka Hospital between 1986 and 1988.
The researchers factored out variables such as alcohol use, use of tobacco, exercise levels, body mass index, and rank. They then discovered that the more green tea a patient drank, the lower his serum cholesterol levels. Men who drank nine or more cups of tea each day had total cholesterol levels that were eight mg/dl lower than those who drank two or fewer cups a day.
The serum cholesterol levels seemed to also decrease for men who ate a great deal of rice and soy beans, and increase for those who ate more Western foods. However, adjusting for these additional diet variables did not seem to affect the correlation between green tea use and total cholesterol levels.
Additional Evidence from the Animal Kingdom
It’s been said that there is a definite link between diet and exercise and coronary heart disease. Therefore, anything in the diet that improves serum lipid profiles should reduce the incidence of heart problems. It’s also known that green tea contains phytochemicals that work to decrease serum cholesterol as well as triglycerides.
In one animal study, 45 rats were subjected to a variety of treatments, including green tea. The study showed that consuming green tea improved the serum lipid profile by reducing total cholesterol, bad cholesterol, and trans fats. In addition, liver fat content decreased in rats that received a large amount of green tea.
Other Positive Effects of Green Tea Drinking
The polyphenols found in green tea may have some additional positive health effects. For instance, a number of animal and test tube studies indicate that these chemicals may have a substantial anti-cancer effect, especially in inhibiting the spread of melanoma, or skin cancer cells. Green tea has also been linked to a reduction in oral cancers and dental cavities.
In addition, green tea may stimulate the production of immune system cells. As a result, it can help the body fight bacteria, leading to improved overall health. In fact, one study showed that drinking ten or more cups of green tea each day could improve blood test results, protecting the body against liver damage.
How Much Green Tea is Enough?
Of course, you might be wondering how much green tea must be consumed in order to have a positive impact on health. In Asian nations, the typical tea drinker consumes about three cups each day—enough to provide as much as 320 mg of polyphenols. Nevertheless, some studies indicate as many as ten cups each day are needed in order to really make a difference in cholesterol levels and overall health.
The forecast for green tea appears to be bright—as far as public health is concerned. Study after study seems to indicate that green tea can reduce cholesterol levels, combat cardiac disease, boost the immune system, and reduce the risk of cancer.
While additional study is needed in order to effectively harness all the benefits of green tea, it appears, for the moment, that simply adding a few cups of the brew to your daily diet can yield impressive health benefits.
About the Author: Jon Stout is Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. For more information about tea, black tea and wholesale tea go to www.goldenmoontea.com
Tea was reportedly discovered by a Chinese emperor some 40 centuries ago. And, legend has it, the discovery was purely by accident. But that coincidental discovery has improved the health of people around the world, who have turned to green tea in particular to help soothe their pains, improve their digestion, alleviate their depression, boost their immune system, and perhaps even lengthen their lives. But what is it that makes green tea so beneficial to human health?
The Ingredients of Success
Green tea is actually made up of a variety of ingredients. These include caffeine, vitamins, minerals, and oils. However, the most important ingredients are the polyphenols, especially one called EGCG, which is believed to improve health. In fact, it is the polyphenols which make green tea so much more effective than other beverages in fighting disease and illness.
Green Tea and Cholesterol
There have been some intriguing studies indicating that green tea can be effective in the fight against high cholesterol. Specifically, the beverage reduces “bad” cholesterol and boosts “good” cholesterol, improving an individual’s overall cholesterol profile.
In addition, green tea appears to lower overall cholesterol levels, helping to reduce one’s risk of developing heart disease. Similarly, green tea enhances cardiovascular health by improving the consistency of platelets in the blood.
Researchers have also found that green tea appears to protect against oxygen-induced damage to bad cholesterol. Drinking green tea also seems to enhance antioxidant processes in the bloodstream.
Effect of Green Tea on Blood Fats
In recent years, much attention has been focused on blood fats and the effects of diet and exercise on their consistency. In an interesting study conducted at the Department of Public Health at the National Defense Medical College in Saitama, Japan, researchers S. Kono, K. Shinchi, N. Ikeda, F. Yanai, and K. Imanishi investigated the impact of green tea consumption on blood fats, also known as serum lipids.
The study was published in an article entitled, “Tea Consumption and Serum Lipid Profiles: a Cross-Sectional Study in Northern Kyushu, Japan.”
Specifically, the researchers examined the correlation between green tea use and the serum lipid concentrations of more than 1300 men who underwent retirement health exams at the Self-Defense Forces Fukuoka Hospital between 1986 and 1988.
The researchers factored out variables such as alcohol use, use of tobacco, exercise levels, body mass index, and rank. They then discovered that the more green tea a patient drank, the lower his serum cholesterol levels. Men who drank nine or more cups of tea each day had total cholesterol levels that were eight mg/dl lower than those who drank two or fewer cups a day.
The serum cholesterol levels seemed to also decrease for men who ate a great deal of rice and soy beans, and increase for those who ate more Western foods. However, adjusting for these additional diet variables did not seem to affect the correlation between green tea use and total cholesterol levels.
Additional Evidence from the Animal Kingdom
It’s been said that there is a definite link between diet and exercise and coronary heart disease. Therefore, anything in the diet that improves serum lipid profiles should reduce the incidence of heart problems. It’s also known that green tea contains phytochemicals that work to decrease serum cholesterol as well as triglycerides.
In one animal study, 45 rats were subjected to a variety of treatments, including green tea. The study showed that consuming green tea improved the serum lipid profile by reducing total cholesterol, bad cholesterol, and trans fats. In addition, liver fat content decreased in rats that received a large amount of green tea.
Other Positive Effects of Green Tea Drinking
The polyphenols found in green tea may have some additional positive health effects. For instance, a number of animal and test tube studies indicate that these chemicals may have a substantial anti-cancer effect, especially in inhibiting the spread of melanoma, or skin cancer cells. Green tea has also been linked to a reduction in oral cancers and dental cavities.
In addition, green tea may stimulate the production of immune system cells. As a result, it can help the body fight bacteria, leading to improved overall health. In fact, one study showed that drinking ten or more cups of green tea each day could improve blood test results, protecting the body against liver damage.
How Much Green Tea is Enough?
Of course, you might be wondering how much green tea must be consumed in order to have a positive impact on health. In Asian nations, the typical tea drinker consumes about three cups each day—enough to provide as much as 320 mg of polyphenols. Nevertheless, some studies indicate as many as ten cups each day are needed in order to really make a difference in cholesterol levels and overall health.
The forecast for green tea appears to be bright—as far as public health is concerned. Study after study seems to indicate that green tea can reduce cholesterol levels, combat cardiac disease, boost the immune system, and reduce the risk of cancer.
While additional study is needed in order to effectively harness all the benefits of green tea, it appears, for the moment, that simply adding a few cups of the brew to your daily diet can yield impressive health benefits.
About the Author: Jon Stout is Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. For more information about tea, black tea and wholesale tea go to www.goldenmoontea.com
Friday, May 23, 2008
Does Green Tea Offer the Prescription for Beating Cancer?
Does Green Tea Offer the Prescription for Beating Cancer?
With early detection, cancer is no longer an automatic death sentence. However, an initial diagnosis still brings with it a host of questions: What is the best course of treatment? Are conventional approaches best? Or are non-traditional therapies preferable—particularly if the cancer does not seem to respond to chemotherapy and radiation.
In recent years, a great deal of emphasis has been placed on unconventional therapies for cancer. For instance, in an article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, Elizabeth Kaegi of the Task Force on Alternative Therapies of the Canadian Breast Cancer Research Initiative discussed the fact that cancer patients are trying a number of intriguing therapies, including Essiac, Iscador, hydrazine sulfate, vitamins A, C, and E, and 714-X. But perhaps one of the most popular therapies that has been tried is green tea. In fact, go to your local convenience store and you may find jug after jug of green tea in assorted flavors. Still, you may be wondering what makes green tea so special—and if it really can help to combat cancer.
Green Tea—The Basics
Green tea is produced by steaming or frying the leaves of the shrub known as Camellia sinensis. The leaves, which are not fermented, are then dried. For 5,000 years, families in China and Japan have hailed green tea as a valuable stimulant and an effective remedy for stomach ailments. You can even purchase green tea in capsule form now, although the actual medicinal benefits from such capsules have yet to be established.
Dried tea leaves are far more complex than you might think. Specifically, they are made up of phytochemicals, plant alkaloids, proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, phenolic acids, and minerals. Of course, the exact composition of the leaves varies, depending on when the leaves are harvested and how they are processed. You should also be aware of the fact that the composition of green tea varies from that of black tea, since black tea has fewer polyphenols because of the fermentation process.
Side Effects
Green tea can contain anywhere from 10 to 80 milligrams of caffeine—the actual amount depends on how it has been produced and stored. Since caffeine is a known stimulant, green tea may lead to a racing heart rate and insomnia. As a result, heart patients, pregnant women, and nursing mothers should ideally drink no more than two cups of green tea a day.
Cancer Prevention
Numerous scientific studies have explored the use of green tea as a cancer preventative. According to Kaegi, digestive cancers appear to be particularly responsive to green tea. In fact, such tea appears to somewhat decrease the risk of experiencing cancer of the digestive tract. Given the fact that such conclusions are the result of a number of epidemiological studies, it appears that the idea that green tea can prevent cancer has some merit.
News from the Lab
But what about treating cancer? Can green tea be as effective in treatment as it is in prevention? There has been some limited lab work investigating the possibility that green tea can be used as an alternative form of cancer treatment. However, at this point, there have only been a few animal studies and no human studies. The results of these studies are, at this point, inconclusive.
Yet, it should be noted that one study showed that, if extracts of green tea are applied to mouse skin, it appears to stop the development of skin cancer when known carcinogens have been applied to the skin. Other research indicates that green tea can stop the growth of tumors or decrease the number of tumors in animals that have been exposed to cancer-causing agents.
In some animals, green tea and tea extracts prevented cancer cells from metastasizing. There are also indications that green tea extracts can prevent chromosomal abnormalities that can lead to cancer, as well as reduce the size of breast and prostate tumors.
The Magic of EGCG
Green tea contains an antioxidant known as epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG. This substance appears to inhibit enzymes which are responsible for cell replication, stop the adhesion of cells, and disrupt the communication pathways which enable cell division to occur. However, EGCG seems to be most critically important as an antioxidant.
Final Conclusions
Researchers believe that there is evidence to suggest that green tea can be used to treat cancer. However, scientists add that additional research is absolutely essential in order to determine the full range of treatment that green tea might provide. For instance, researchers must determine which cancers are most likely to be abated through the use of green tea or green tea extracts.
Since there is also evidence to indicate that green tea can prevent cancer as well, drinking green tea is not only safe—it’s also highly recommended by some medical experts. Therefore, green tea may not just be a thirst-quencher—it may also be a key ingredient of a healthy diet.
About the Author: Jon M. Stout is Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. For more information about tea, green tea and wu long tea go to http://www.goldenmoontea.com
With early detection, cancer is no longer an automatic death sentence. However, an initial diagnosis still brings with it a host of questions: What is the best course of treatment? Are conventional approaches best? Or are non-traditional therapies preferable—particularly if the cancer does not seem to respond to chemotherapy and radiation.
In recent years, a great deal of emphasis has been placed on unconventional therapies for cancer. For instance, in an article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, Elizabeth Kaegi of the Task Force on Alternative Therapies of the Canadian Breast Cancer Research Initiative discussed the fact that cancer patients are trying a number of intriguing therapies, including Essiac, Iscador, hydrazine sulfate, vitamins A, C, and E, and 714-X. But perhaps one of the most popular therapies that has been tried is green tea. In fact, go to your local convenience store and you may find jug after jug of green tea in assorted flavors. Still, you may be wondering what makes green tea so special—and if it really can help to combat cancer.
Green Tea—The Basics
Green tea is produced by steaming or frying the leaves of the shrub known as Camellia sinensis. The leaves, which are not fermented, are then dried. For 5,000 years, families in China and Japan have hailed green tea as a valuable stimulant and an effective remedy for stomach ailments. You can even purchase green tea in capsule form now, although the actual medicinal benefits from such capsules have yet to be established.
Dried tea leaves are far more complex than you might think. Specifically, they are made up of phytochemicals, plant alkaloids, proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, phenolic acids, and minerals. Of course, the exact composition of the leaves varies, depending on when the leaves are harvested and how they are processed. You should also be aware of the fact that the composition of green tea varies from that of black tea, since black tea has fewer polyphenols because of the fermentation process.
Side Effects
Green tea can contain anywhere from 10 to 80 milligrams of caffeine—the actual amount depends on how it has been produced and stored. Since caffeine is a known stimulant, green tea may lead to a racing heart rate and insomnia. As a result, heart patients, pregnant women, and nursing mothers should ideally drink no more than two cups of green tea a day.
Cancer Prevention
Numerous scientific studies have explored the use of green tea as a cancer preventative. According to Kaegi, digestive cancers appear to be particularly responsive to green tea. In fact, such tea appears to somewhat decrease the risk of experiencing cancer of the digestive tract. Given the fact that such conclusions are the result of a number of epidemiological studies, it appears that the idea that green tea can prevent cancer has some merit.
News from the Lab
But what about treating cancer? Can green tea be as effective in treatment as it is in prevention? There has been some limited lab work investigating the possibility that green tea can be used as an alternative form of cancer treatment. However, at this point, there have only been a few animal studies and no human studies. The results of these studies are, at this point, inconclusive.
Yet, it should be noted that one study showed that, if extracts of green tea are applied to mouse skin, it appears to stop the development of skin cancer when known carcinogens have been applied to the skin. Other research indicates that green tea can stop the growth of tumors or decrease the number of tumors in animals that have been exposed to cancer-causing agents.
In some animals, green tea and tea extracts prevented cancer cells from metastasizing. There are also indications that green tea extracts can prevent chromosomal abnormalities that can lead to cancer, as well as reduce the size of breast and prostate tumors.
The Magic of EGCG
Green tea contains an antioxidant known as epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG. This substance appears to inhibit enzymes which are responsible for cell replication, stop the adhesion of cells, and disrupt the communication pathways which enable cell division to occur. However, EGCG seems to be most critically important as an antioxidant.
Final Conclusions
Researchers believe that there is evidence to suggest that green tea can be used to treat cancer. However, scientists add that additional research is absolutely essential in order to determine the full range of treatment that green tea might provide. For instance, researchers must determine which cancers are most likely to be abated through the use of green tea or green tea extracts.
Since there is also evidence to indicate that green tea can prevent cancer as well, drinking green tea is not only safe—it’s also highly recommended by some medical experts. Therefore, green tea may not just be a thirst-quencher—it may also be a key ingredient of a healthy diet.
About the Author: Jon M. Stout is Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. For more information about tea, green tea and wu long tea go to http://www.goldenmoontea.com
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Green Tea Extract and Weight Loss
If you have always wanted to know more about this topic, then get ready because we have all the information you can handle.
Do you ever feel like you know just enough about Green Tea drag and heaviness slaughter to be threaty? Let's see if we can cram in some of the gaps with the hottest news from Green Tea drag and heaviness slaughter experts.
It's very a good idea to prod a little deeper into the question of Green Tea drag and heaviness slaughter. What you learn may give you the confidence you must to venture into new sections.
If you're genuinely interested in conscious about Green Tea drag and heaviness slaughter, you must to think afar the basics. This newsrmative paragraph takes a nearer look at equipment you must to know about Green Tea drag and heaviness slaughter. erudition can give you a honest help. To make confident you're smarmy newsrmed about Green Tea drag and heaviness slaughter, keep recital.
What an exciting way to begin this article, now lets take a look at what else we can learn about this topic!
Green tea has forever been known to have numerous fitness profit, but who knew that it could contribute to weight loss as well?
A topical survey available in the American Journal of Clinical diet show that green tea extract can swell metabolism and fat corrosion of the body. In model, scientists deem that the weight loss profit of green tea extracts are due to their caffeine content but the fallout of the survey show otherwise as they disroofed that green tea extracts have weight loss profit afar that of caffeine.
In their survey, the researchers administered only the same total of caffeine as that in green tea extracts but found that it did not make any significant changes in the bodys complete energy expenditure. This led them to conclude that green tea extracts have ingredients in them that actively cooperate with each other, promoting swelld metabolism and fat corrosion that prime to weight loss.
broaden findings indicated that a certain compound found in green tea extracts might be the ingredient that reasons weight loss. These green tea extract compounds called Flavonoids may correct the way the body uses norepinephrine, a hormone that monitors how calories are burned. When flavonoids cooperate with other green tea extract ingredients, more calories are burned therefore contributing to weight loss.
Another ingredient that actively contributes to the weight loss profit of green tea extracts is the compound catechin polyphenols. These compounds also cooperate with other green tea extract ingredients in order to promote weight loss by fat burning and thermogenesis (a treat of down energy by daytime ardor).
The great thing about the weight loss advantage of green tea extracts is that it does not have any adverse border-property. disparate other herbal crop like ephedra and prescription drugs for heaviness, green tea extract does not swell the momentum of kindness duty or introduce blood presconfident. In this view, green tea extract is an effectual and safer correctnative to other weight loss crop which may reason wound to the client.
The survey conducted by the University of Geneva on the weight loss advantage of green tea extract implicated that green tea extract can also help thyroid patients. According to dietitian Lynn Moss, M.S., R.D., green tea extract is a fitnessier picking for people with thyroid who may be too precise to stimulants. Green tea extract can promote weight loss by increasing metabolism lacking over stimulating the adrenal glands.
A familiar infusion all throughout Asia, green tea has topically gained popularity in the West. broaden researches were conducted to name other fitness profit of green tea extracts aborder from weight loss. It was found that certain green tea extract compounds can significantly downgrade the threat of kindness disease, menace, and even ulcers.
It never hurts to be well-newsrmed with the hottest on Green Tea drag and heaviness slaughter. equate what you've academic here to upcoming paragraphs so that you can delay alert to changes in the section of Green Tea drag and heaviness slaughter.
Now might be a good time to write down the highest points roofed above. The act of putting it down on paper will help you memorize what's important about Green Tea drag and heaviness slaughter.
If you would like to learn more about this subject, take a look at our wide selection of articles to see if any interest you.
About the Author: Want more information on Green Tea Extract and Weight Loss? http://www.justgreentea.info/Green_Tea_Extract_and_Weight_Loss.html has all the information
Do you ever feel like you know just enough about Green Tea drag and heaviness slaughter to be threaty? Let's see if we can cram in some of the gaps with the hottest news from Green Tea drag and heaviness slaughter experts.
It's very a good idea to prod a little deeper into the question of Green Tea drag and heaviness slaughter. What you learn may give you the confidence you must to venture into new sections.
If you're genuinely interested in conscious about Green Tea drag and heaviness slaughter, you must to think afar the basics. This newsrmative paragraph takes a nearer look at equipment you must to know about Green Tea drag and heaviness slaughter. erudition can give you a honest help. To make confident you're smarmy newsrmed about Green Tea drag and heaviness slaughter, keep recital.
What an exciting way to begin this article, now lets take a look at what else we can learn about this topic!
Green tea has forever been known to have numerous fitness profit, but who knew that it could contribute to weight loss as well?
A topical survey available in the American Journal of Clinical diet show that green tea extract can swell metabolism and fat corrosion of the body. In model, scientists deem that the weight loss profit of green tea extracts are due to their caffeine content but the fallout of the survey show otherwise as they disroofed that green tea extracts have weight loss profit afar that of caffeine.
In their survey, the researchers administered only the same total of caffeine as that in green tea extracts but found that it did not make any significant changes in the bodys complete energy expenditure. This led them to conclude that green tea extracts have ingredients in them that actively cooperate with each other, promoting swelld metabolism and fat corrosion that prime to weight loss.
broaden findings indicated that a certain compound found in green tea extracts might be the ingredient that reasons weight loss. These green tea extract compounds called Flavonoids may correct the way the body uses norepinephrine, a hormone that monitors how calories are burned. When flavonoids cooperate with other green tea extract ingredients, more calories are burned therefore contributing to weight loss.
Another ingredient that actively contributes to the weight loss profit of green tea extracts is the compound catechin polyphenols. These compounds also cooperate with other green tea extract ingredients in order to promote weight loss by fat burning and thermogenesis (a treat of down energy by daytime ardor).
The great thing about the weight loss advantage of green tea extracts is that it does not have any adverse border-property. disparate other herbal crop like ephedra and prescription drugs for heaviness, green tea extract does not swell the momentum of kindness duty or introduce blood presconfident. In this view, green tea extract is an effectual and safer correctnative to other weight loss crop which may reason wound to the client.
The survey conducted by the University of Geneva on the weight loss advantage of green tea extract implicated that green tea extract can also help thyroid patients. According to dietitian Lynn Moss, M.S., R.D., green tea extract is a fitnessier picking for people with thyroid who may be too precise to stimulants. Green tea extract can promote weight loss by increasing metabolism lacking over stimulating the adrenal glands.
A familiar infusion all throughout Asia, green tea has topically gained popularity in the West. broaden researches were conducted to name other fitness profit of green tea extracts aborder from weight loss. It was found that certain green tea extract compounds can significantly downgrade the threat of kindness disease, menace, and even ulcers.
It never hurts to be well-newsrmed with the hottest on Green Tea drag and heaviness slaughter. equate what you've academic here to upcoming paragraphs so that you can delay alert to changes in the section of Green Tea drag and heaviness slaughter.
Now might be a good time to write down the highest points roofed above. The act of putting it down on paper will help you memorize what's important about Green Tea drag and heaviness slaughter.
If you would like to learn more about this subject, take a look at our wide selection of articles to see if any interest you.
About the Author: Want more information on Green Tea Extract and Weight Loss? http://www.justgreentea.info/Green_Tea_Extract_and_Weight_Loss.html has all the information
Friday, May 16, 2008
THESE ARE GREAT SITES
http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/tea
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epigallocatechin_gallate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catechin
http://www.greentealibrary.com/
http://greenteahp.wordpress.com/2007/11/13/green-tea-hp-helps-strenghthen-bones/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Açaí_Palm#Fruit
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noni
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomegranate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theanine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resveratrol
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epigallocatechin_gallate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catechin
http://www.greentealibrary.com/
http://greenteahp.wordpress.com/2007/11/13/green-tea-hp-helps-strenghthen-bones/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Açaí_Palm#Fruit
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noni
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomegranate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theanine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resveratrol
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