Benefits of green tea: The cup that cheers

Having switched from black to green tea a couple of years ago, I was always under the impression that everyone knew about the benefits of green tea. However, I was quite surprised when I found that not many people really know much beyond the fact that tea, as we know it today, is broadly divided into two categories – black and green. I mean, a 10-year-old could probably tell you that.

So I did some research to supplement my knowledge and came up with a very interesting story about the origin of green tea. About 5,000 years ago, so the story goes, Chinese emperor Shen-Nung was boiling some water – don’t ask me why – when some tea leaves fell into the pot. Thus was discovered what has today become the world’s most popular drink after water – tea, which comes from the plant Camellia Sinensis and is widely grown in China, India, Japan, Sri Lanka and certain other parts of South and South-East Asia.

Given its ancient provenance, tea has provided ample opportunities for research and development, and, with the passing of time, one fact has emerged beyond doubt: green tea, which was the original form of the beverage, is one of the healthiest drinks around and the benefits of green tea have been proved to be innumerable. I’ll share some of the principal benefits with you?

First, I should mention that green tea is rich in a group of chemicals called catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). This is a powerful anti-oxidant that hinders the growth of cancer cells and even, according to some researchers, kills cancerous cells without damaging healthy tissue. EGCG also lowers LDL(bad) cholesterol levels, and reduces the risk of blood clots, which in turn reduces the risk of thrombosis, the leading cause of heart attacks and stroke.

The benefits of green tea extend further, because green tea also contains caffeine and theanine, as well as several vitamins like E and C and minerals. Caffeine, as coffee drinkers will tell you, acts as a mild anti-depressant, stimulates the skeletal muscles and facilitates muscular contraction, while the vitamins and minerals in green tea possess anti-aging properties. I don’t know about you but I’ve always wondered why Japan has the world’s largest geriatric population? The secret – GREEN TEA.

In fact, studies show that Japan also has one of the world’s lowest cancer rates, despite the fact that nearly 75% of the population smokes. Scientists looking for an answer to the mystery came up with the fact that most Japanese drink about 5 cups of green tea daily.

During the course of my research, I found that catechin also restricts the buildup of ‘bad cholesterol’, viz. LDL (low-density lipoprotein, in case you were wondering) and that green tea lowers blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

Green tea also works wonders for diarrhea because it kills or inhibits food-poisoning bacteria. It also treats a variety of skin conditions like athlete’s foot and bedsores. In children with tooth cavities green tea helps because it contains fluorine, which by the way as you may know is also an ingredient in toothpaste EXCEPT toothpaste contains a slightly different version called fluoride.

Here’s an amazing bit of trivia about the benefits of green tea for you to ponder on: Catechin is 100 times more potent than vitamin C and 25 times more potent than vitamin E thus making green tea a ‘SUPER ANTIOXIDANT’.

Green Tea Caffeine