Green tea is considered one of the world’s healthiest drinks because it contains one of the highest amount of antioxidants of any tea.
The natural chemicals called polyphenols in green tea are what are thought to provide its anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic effects.
Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is the most studied and bioactive polyphenol in tea and has been shown to be the most effective at eliminating free radicals who can do damage to healthy cells.
Green tea is approximately 20% to 45% polyphenols by weight, of which 60% to 80% are catechins such as EGCG.
These catechins what helps your body fight and prevent cell damage.
All types of tea except herbal teas such as mint or chamomile are brewed from the dried leaves of the Camellia sinensis bush.
Green tea is made from un-oxidized leaves and is one of the less processed types of tea (with white tea the least) and therefore contains one of the most antioxidants and beneficial polyphenols.
Green tea has had thousands of years of empirical use in traditional Chinese and Aryudvedic herbal traditions and has been used by those traditions to control bleeding and heal wounds, aid digestion, improve heart and mental wellbeing.
Green tea has been shown to through various studies to have helped with lowering cholesterol and other heart related problems.
A 2013 review of many studies found green tea helped prevent a range of heart related issues. It follows that what is good for your heart in generally good for your heart.
A Swiss study revealed that people who drank green tea had greater activity in the working-memory area of their brains through the use of MRI. Green tea has also been shown to help block the formation of plaques that are linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
According to the National Cancer Institute, the polyphenols in tea have been shown to decrease tumour growth in laboratory and animal studies and may protect against damage caused by ultraviolet UVB radiation.
It’s more than a coincidence that in countries where green tea consumption is high, cancer rates are correspondingly low.
Researchers believe that it is the high level of polyphenols in tea that help kill cancerous cells and stop them from growing, however the exact mechanisms by which tea interacts with cancerous cell are not yet fully understood.
In general, green tea contains a relatively small amount of caffeine (approximately 20-45 milligrams per 8oz cup), compared with black tea which contains about 50 milligrams and coffee with 95 milligrams per cup.