13 Health Benefits of Green Tea
Copyright 2005 Arina Nikitina

Green tea has been enjoyed by people in China and Japan forthousands of years. Over the time it has become widelyknown in the West.

A lot of people nowadays have heard that green tea benefitsthe overall health, but not a lot know why exactly. Andbelieve me after I've learned all the health benefits ofgreen tea, I get completely different feeling every time Idrink it. I not only enjoy the taste of it but I also getthe moral satisfaction knowing that I am doing somethingright and extremely healthy for my body. I want you to haveexactly the same feeling I have, so here are the benefitsthat you get while sipping delicious cup of tea.

Green tea contains anti-oxidants that:

1. Helps to prevent cancer.The is some strong evidence that green tea included in youevery day diet can reduce bladder, colon, esophageal,pancreas, rectum, and stomach cancer up to 60%. Anantioxidant known as "epigallocatechin gallate" (EGCG forshort) is at least 100 more times more effective thanvitamin C and 25 times more effective than vitamin E atprotecting cells from harmful influence.

The amazing thing about it that EGCG it not only inhibitsthe growth of new cancer cells it also kills some of theexisting cancer sells without harming the healthy ones.

2. Lowers "bad" cholesterol (known as LDL) and improves theratio of "good" cholesterol (known as HDL). It explains whytea-drinkers can eat almost twice the foods containingcholesterol as those who don't drink green tea, but stillhave an equal cholesterol count.

3. Stops the unnatural formation of blood cloth which ifnot taken care of will cause thrombosis. It takes on addedimportance if you consider that thrombosis is one of themain causes of strokes and heart attacks.

4. Reduces high blood pressure by repressing angiotensin IIwhich causes constriction of the blood vessels causing highblood pressure.

5. Lowers blood sugar (polyphenols and polysaccharides arethe two main antioxidants are especially effective inlowering blood sugar). That helps prevent and relievetype-two diabetes.

6. Protects liver against toxins like alcohol and chemicalsin cigarette smoke.

7. Promotes oral health by suppress the process of plaqueformation and destroys the bacteria that forms plaque. Italso destroys bacteria that causes bad breath, so aftereating something sweet I suggest you drink a cup of greentea.

8. Destroys free radicals that cause aging.

9. Boosts your immune system function (because of its highconcentration of polyphenols and flaveboids).

10. Possess antibacterial and antiviral properties. Recentstudies show that green tea inhibits the spread of disease,speeds up recovery from cold and flu. It also kills sevenstrains of food poisoning bacteria including clostridium,botulus and staphylococcus (which makes it a good treatmentfor diarrhea).

11. Helps your body to maintain healthy fluid balance andrelieve fatigue and stress often caused by dehydration.

12. Blocks main receptors that produce allergic reactions.

13. Stimulates metabolism, calorie burning process and iswildly being used as an important part of a healthy diet.

It is important to know that black tea, even though itcomes from the same plant as a green tea, will not give youthe same benefits. Black tea during fermentation processloses most of its medical benefits.

The best way to preserve all the disease-fightingnutrition is to drink your tea freshly brewed. All thedecaffeinated, ready-to-drink bottled or instant teas willgive you very little of natural health compounds. It isbetter to let your tea steep for about 4-5 minutes beforedrinking it.

I hope that after reading this article you will include acup of green tea in your daily ratio. After all it is arare case when something that good for our health can bealso that delicious.