Green Tea Benefits: Help Or Hype? By Laura M. Turner, M.Sc.
CNHP
There's been lots of health-hype
lately surrounding the benefits of
green tea. I'm certain you've heard
it, too. Have you ever wondered: "Is
it really worth my while to drink
tea of the green variety?" Stick
around and decide for yourself.
First: Green Tea Benefits - The Claims:
A rich
source of anti-oxidants:
What are anti-oxidants?
Anti-oxidants neutralize "free
radicals" or unstable molecules in
the body that can eventually become
unfriendly and wreak havoc on the
cells. Free radical damage can cause
everything from sun damage to
hardening of the arteries. Green tea
will help you bulk up on the
anti-oxidant warriors that help to
both lower cholesterol and reduce
the risk of heart disease by
controlling blood pressure.
Cancer
prevention:
Green tea has been shown to lower
rates of cancer in Asian
populations. The cancers studied and
which have been recorded include:
bladder, colon, esophagus, pancreas,
rectal and stomach. New evidence
suggests green tea may also help
prevent prostate cancer, as well.
Help
with arthritis:
Studies also suggest there is
possible anti-inflammatory and
arthritis preventing effects in
green tea although, I'll admit,
solid scientific evidence was
difficult to come by. By simple
suggestion, I'll give green tea an A
for effort in the arthritis
category.
Liver
protection:
Green tea has been proven to protect
liver cells by stimulating the
immune system. Green tea protects
the liver by warding off toxins such
as alcohol and cigarette smoke.
Teeth
protection:
Green tea has been thought to
promote oral health (although
scientific proof was difficult to
come by here, too). Green tea is
supposed to work against bacteria,
protecting teeth from cavities.
Weight
loss:
Here's another benefit that will
raise many an eyebrow. Several
sources I found claimed that green
tea may actually help to stimulate
weight loss. Yes! Green tea contains
polyphenols (molecule compounds)
that actually help the body to burn
weight and regulate both blood sugar
and insulin levels.
The Bad News
What's the bad news?
The
only negative side effect I've found
is the simple recorded cases of
insomnia due to naturally occurring
caffeine in green tea. It looks like
there's only 30-60mg in 6-8 ounces
of tea, however. That's less than
half the caffeine content of coffee
which weighs in at 90 mg. per 8
ounce cup.
Other FAQ's About Green Tea:
How
much green tea is enough to reap the
benefits?
No
one seems to be too sure about the
answer to this question, either.
Let's be realistic - most people
could easily drink 3-4 cups of green
tea daily. This is a good round
number and one that I came up with
based on its frequency in the
research studied. A suggestion: why
not try replacing your usual cup of
coffee with a clean dose of health?
Where
to get a good cup of tea?
Check out your local grocery for my
favorite: Lipton. There's plenty of
others, but I like the way Lipton
aims to zip up green tea with
variety. They even have a orange,
passionfruit & jasmine flavor that's
de-lish!
If
drinking tea really isn't your
thing, but you still want the
benefits - no problem! Green tea is
now available in capsule form, too.
This could be as close as your local
pharmacy. Check around.
In summation:
In
this scientist's opinion, green tea
benefits are well worth your consideration.
In fact, the simple speculation of benefits
is enough to get excited about.
It's easy to digest, tastes good
and, hey, if it helps me with my
goals of wellness, weight loss and illness
prevention, I'll take ample tea
time, any day!
Research for this article has been
created through careful
consideration of research and
articles appearing on WebMD and
though several working texts which
include:
Balch, Phyllis A., CNC.
Prescriptions for Nutritional
Healing. New York: Penguin
Putnam, 2004.
Mabey, Richard. The New Age
Herbalist. New York: Simon &
Schuster, 1988.
Mindell, Earl, R.Ph., Ph.D. Herb
Bible. New York: Simon &
Schuster, 1992.
Tierra, Michael L.Ac., O.M.D. The
Way of Herbs. New York: Simon &
Schuster, 1998
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*****
Laura M. Turner, M.Sc., CNHP is an
author, journalist and wellness
mentor specializing in natural
anti-aging
practices and nutritional medicine.
Visit her online at
www.beauty-and-body.com and
subscribe to the
BodyTalk eZine -
www.bodytalkezine.com. While
you're there grab her
new eBook Retro-Aging and
enroll in her "Take Charge Of
Your Health" eCourse FREE,
as well as improve your health with
Nature's Healing Treasures:
www.beauty-and-body.com/youngliving.
