The Awesome Power of Green Tea

Like the more common black and oolong varieties of tea, green tea is derived from the tea plant, and it originated in the part of the globe which encompasses modern China, the northern part of India and the country of Tibet.
While there are many health drinks on the market, few have enjoyed the popularity and the promise of green tea.  For thousands of years, the Chinese have brewed green tea and used it as part of their traditional healing culture, and they continue to use the power of green tea to this day.  Green tea has been used to treat everything from depression and headaches to digestive problems.
In addition, the compounds contained in green tea have shown great promise at fighting cancer, and these potential cancer fighters in green tea continue to be the subject of much study.  One frequently mentioned study found a 60% decrease in the risk for esophageal cancer in those who regularly consumed green tea.  Another study of green tea found that a compound it contained was able to slow down the formation of many kinds of cancer cells.
In addition to its possible role as a cancer fighter, green tea has shown great promise in lowering total cholesterol levels and the bad (LDL) cholesterol in those with high cholesterol.  Green tea has also demonstrated the ability to lower high blood pressure, to treat and prevent rheumatoid arthritis and to boost the function of the immune system.
The secret of many of green tea’s health effects is thought to derive from the high concentration of polyphenols it contains.  Perhaps the most important of these chemicals is known as epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG.  EGCG is known to have strong antioxidant properties, and it has been shown to have the ability to kill cancer cells while not harming healthy tissues. 
EGCG may also play an important role in protecting the heart from disease, perhaps because of its ability to lower blood cholesterol and help reduce the incidence of blood clots.  Many scientists are studying the effects of green tea in an effort to understand the so-called French Paradox.  For many decades scientists and others have wondered why the French, who eat one of the fattiest diets in the world, have levels of heart disease that are so much lower than those of their American counterparts.  It is thought that the compounds found in green tea may provide at least part of the answer to this mystery.
In particular, green tea is known to contain a substance known as resveratrol, which is also contained in the red wine favored by French diners.  This ingredient of green tea is thought to play a role in protecting the heart from damage.  Many feel that green tea provides the same or even greater health benefits as drinking red wine on a daily basis.
With so many potential health benefits, it would be difficult to come up with a reason not to drink green tea.  This popular drink is inexpensive, widely available, easy to prepare and delicious.  It’s health benefits are just one more reason to make green tea part of a healthy diet