There have been many discoveries of green tea's health benefits in the past couple of decades, including cardiovascular health benefits and antioxidant capabilities that reduce the risk of cancer. A recent study discovered that green tea even reduces mental stress and fatigue.
Green Tea Health Benefits
A USA based analysis of green tea in 1997 at the University of Kansas made a breakthrough discovery with green tea. This discovery was similar to the discovery of resveratrol in red wine that explained why the French have such a low heart disease rate despite their high fat diet.
They University of Kansas team determined that ingredients in green tea are twice as powerful as resveratrol, which is probably the reason why Japanese male adults have such a low incidence of heart disease despite the fact that 75% of them smoke!
The ingredients they found in green tea include four primary polyphenols: epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG), epicatechin (EC), and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). These are terms for plant biochemical ingredients that are high in antioxidants.
Antioxidants are what minimize the destruction caused by the normal process of oxidation. You could simplify this by comparing it to rust on metal from exposure to air and water. But the damage is to tissue cells. It's sometimes referred to as oxidative stress. Over time, you can suffer from this damaging process with all sorts of diseases, including heart disease, cancers, and Alzheimer's.
Activities of smoking and alcohol consumption, poor diet, stress and pollutants in the environment all contribute to reducing the body's ability to ward off oxidative damage. It's actually the effort from an overworked immune system to curb or repair cellular and tissue damage from oxidation that creates this damaging stress. This is why anti-oxidants are important.
Why Green Tea Is Better Than Other Teas
The biochemical EGCG is the most potent and highest in green teas. Even though black tea and green tea come from the same basic plant, camellia sinensis, the processing sets green tea's EGCG component higher. The green tea leaves are steamed, enhancing the EGCG by protecting it from oxidation. Black and oolong tea leaves are fermented. This fermentation converts EGCG into a substance that is not nearly as effective.
And EGCG is so powerful that it has been extracted and used successfully in conjunction with cancer and leukemia treatments. So by drinking large amounts of green tea, you are getting a high amount of protection against cancer, heart disease, and dementia. Aging is also associated with oxidative stress, so this compound of EGCG is useful as an anti-aging nutrient also.
Oxidative Stress Leading to Mental Stress and Fatigue
The Japanese also tend to be workaholics. Modern life has been getting more stressful for everyone. So a research team from the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine did a large scale study involving several thousand working Japanese. They determined that those who drank large amounts of green tea had less anxiety, depression, and fatigue. They were less “stressed out.”
What is a large amount of green tea? Their study compared one or less cups of green tea a day to five a day for the group less “stressed out” or mentally fatigued. But what is the volume of a cup in Japan? They are smaller than USA cups, around 4 to 5 ounces. That would translate to between 20 and 25 ounces a day, or approximately three eight ounce cups. Anything close to that amount seems do-able for many westerners.
Sources:
"Green tea may ease mental distress: Study", Nutra Ingredients, 13-Oct-2009 By Daniells, Stephen
"Green Tea Health Benefits" The World's Healthiest Foods (date unavaible), Mateljan, George http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=146
Paul Louis - Paul Louis has written several articles for a variety of subjects. He has retired from the mortgage - real estate madness in the USA and ...
