Health Benefits of Green Tea
Green tea is the second-most widely consumed beverage in the world (water being the first) and has been enjoyed for more than a century in Japan.
Green tea is prepared by picking, lightly steamed and allowing the leaves dry. Black tea, the most popular type of tea in U.S., is made by allowing the leaves to ferment before drying. Because of the differences in the fermentation process, a portion of the active compounds is destroyed in black tea, but active in green tea.
Those active compounds in green tea are Catechins, specific polyphenols, which possesses properties that include antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, antiarteriosclerotic and antibacterial effects.
Green Tea Fights Cancer
"The American Dietetic Association (ADA), Chicago,
suggests that four to six cups of green tea per day may
reduce the risk of certain cancers. Mounting evidence
suggests that green tea offers cancer-protective effects.
For example, The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), Washington, D.C., reports that long-term studies in regions where green-tea consumption is common have associated regular intake with lower risk for bladder, colon, stomach, pancreatic and esophageal cancers.
The AICR also
reports that green tea slows or completely prevents
cancer development in colon, liver, breast and prostate cells, and
offers similar protective effects in the lungs, skin and digestive tract."
(Food Product Design 2005; Jan.)