What Are The Health Benefits Of Green Tea?

According to an ancient Chinese legend, a Chinese emperor discovered tea when leaves from a wild tea bush fell into a pot of water he was boiling. Green tea originates from China, and is also now cultivated in, India, Ceylon and Japan. It has recently become popular in Western countries where it has been more traditional to drink black teas.green tea

The health benefits of green tea have been extensively researched with thousands of studies archived and new studies continuously been undertaken.

Green tea and weight loss
Green tea can be helpful for dieters as it promotes fat loss, specifically visceral fat.

Visceral fat accumulates in the tissues lining the abdominal cavity and surrounding the intestines and internal organs, and is associated with increased risk for metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

The three ingredients in green tea that promote fat loss are catechins, caffeine and theanine that work by inhibiting the enzymes that digest triglycerides, which play an important role in metabolism as energy sources and transporters of dietary fat.

Green tea and diabetes
Other studies suggest that EGCG may help prevent type 2 diabetes, by lowering the production of free radicals, and by reducing the creation of glucose. A study published in the August 2004 issue of BMC Pharmacology, in which oral glucose tolerance tests were given to healthy humans after they consumed green tea, showed that it increased the body's ability to utilize blood sugar.

Green tea and cancer
The secret of of the healing properties of green tea are due to the catechin polyphenols, especially epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant, inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, with the ability to kill cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. EGCG accomplishes this by inhibiting the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), which cancer cells need to be able to grow, and which happens to be a target of anti-cancer drugs such as Methotrexate.