The Health Benefits of Green Tea
What is Green Tea?
Comes from the plant Camellia Sinensis
Originated in China
Same plant as black and oolong teas, but not as oxidized
Loaded with nutrients
Bioactive polyphenols (class of natural organic molecules)
Flavinoids + Catechins - antioxidants preventing free radical damage in your body. Free radicals form due to exposure environmentally toxic substances as well as part of the aging process.
EGCG (specific type of catechin)
Health Benefits of Green Tea
Green tea can reduce your risk of getting cancer
Due to these high level of antioxidants in the body. This is a correlation not a direct causation. It's good for you, but NO it's not going to cure and prevent all types of cancer
Good for your heart
Animal trials of increasing good cholesterol (HDL) and lowers bad cholesterol (LDL)
Showed that cholesterol levels remained balanced over time. They concluded that the anti-inflammatory compounds contained in green tea help to limit the absorption of cholesterol.
Animal, lab, and human trials showing that green tea lowers blood pressure
The results were attributed to green tea’s polyphenols and their effects on helping to prevent the thickening of artery walls
Green tea is great for your breath
Green tea kills the bacteria responsible for creating that bad breath in your mouth
Killing that bacteria also reduces plaque buildup in your mouth so it's also great for your teeth
Great for FOCUS
20-40 mg of Caffeine per cup (about 1/3 cup of coffee)
L-Theanine - helps promote relaxation without sedation
Helps you burn fat (augments weight loss)
Mixed studies on this and is really based on the individual
Hypothesized to up-regulate the enzymes involved in beta oxidation or fatty acid metabolism (talk more about this in my intermittent fasting video) IDK HOW TRUE THIS IS?
Can protect your brain + Increase cognitive function
Animal and lab models show catechins decrease the risk of the development of Alzheimer and Parkinson's disease
Increase in brain cell production
Improve cognitive function in the part of the brain that controls short and long term memory.
Unsure of exact mechanism, but thought to occur due to decrease plaque development in the brain
May increase lifespan
3-5 cups/day have
Increase lifespan
Decrease all cause mortality (decrease chance of dying from anything)
Decrease in heart disease
Decrease in stroke
BUT correlation NOT direct causation
Reduced levels of stress
Sources:
A. L. Brown, J. Lane, C. Holyoak, B. Nicol, A. E. Mayes and T. Dadd (2011). Health effects of green tea catechins in overweight and obese men: a randomised controlled cross-over trial. British Journal of Nutrition, 106, pp 1880-1889. doi:10.1017/S0007114511002376. [4] Yang, Chung S. et al. “Cancer Prevention by Tea: Animal Studies, Molecular Mechanisms and Human Relevance.” Nature reviews. Cancer 9.6 (2009): 429–439. PMC. Web. 6 Jan. 2015.
Hozawa A, Kuriyama S, Nakaya N, Ohmori-Matsuda K, Kakizaki M, Sone T, Nagai M, Sugawara Y, Nitta A, Tomata Y, Niu K, Tsuji I. Green tea consumption is associated with lower psychological distress in a general population: the Ohsaki Cohort 2006 Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Nov;90(5):1390-6. Epub 2009 Sep 30.
Kuriyama S, Shimazu T, Ohmori K, et al. “Green Tea Consumption and Mortality Due to Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer, and All Causes in Japan: The Ohsaki Study.” JAMA. 2006;296(10):1255-1265. doi:10.1001/jama.296.10.1255.
Imai, K., and K. Nakachi. “Cross sectional study of effects of drinking green tea on cardiovascular and liver diseases.” British Medical Journal 18 Mar. 1995: 693+. Health Reference Center Academic. Web. 5 Jan. 2015.
Yanyan Wang, Maoquan Li, Xueqing Xu, Min Song, Huansheng Tao, Yun Bai. Green tea epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) promotes neural progenitor cell proliferation and sonic hedgehog pathway activation during adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 2012; 56 (8): 1292 DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201200035
