Polyphenols in green tea are all the rage. The health establishment in the United States now endorses drinking a glass of green tea every day because of these new found polyphenols.

Part of what makes vegetables and fruits so healthy is catechins. Catechins are also found in green tea. The type of catechin found in green tea is the most powerful and is called EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate).

This compound is dubbed the "super antioxidant" because it is more powerful than the popular antioxidants Vitamin E and Vitamin C. This super antioxidant eliminates free radicals, the unstable molecules in the body that are the major cause of both aging and disease, which continually attack the body and leave the body vulnerable to disease.

So how do free radicals cause damage within the human body? They interfere with what is called the biochemical process that takes place within all cells. Free radicals ultimately kill healthy cells by destroying enzymes and other cellular functions. Just as bad, free radicals produce toxic waste. These highly reactive molecules damage not only proteins, but actual DNA as well.

There are different types of free radicals but all are children of reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM). So oxidation inside the body is harmful. Yes, we need oxygen to survive, but because of this need, reactive oxygen metabolites are produced. These free radicals age and destroy our cells. These free radicals have been linked to illness, sickness, aging, heart disease, cancer, and even arthritis.

If your body does not have much of an antioxidant line of defense, your cells oxidize faster which speeds up the aging process. So by consuming antioxidants, you not only improve your body's immune system, you slow down the aging process as well.

Since EGCG contained in green tea is a potent antioxidant it neutralizes free radicals and hence is responsible for the health promoting benefits listed below.

Lower LDL levels

Increase HDL (good)-cholesterol levels

Lowers the risk of cancer and heart attack

Less strokes suffered by green tea drinkers

Lowers the risk of arthritis

Enhance immune function

Kills bacteria. Has anti-viral properties. Helps lower weight.

Increases life span because of antioxidant properties

One tea bag provides anywhere from 120 to 350 mg of polyphenols and has a high concentration of EGCG. Scientists now believe that EGCG has 100 times more antioxidants than Vitamin C and 30 times more antioxidants than Vitamin E.

Green tea has been used for centuries in China for the health benefits it provides. We are just now scratching the surface of what green tea has to offer, new studies come out constantly that provide data on the effectiveness of green tea against various ailments.

A new research study was just released a few months ago that linked green tea to preventing Alzheimer's. The EGCG in green tea decreases the production of a protein which in large amounts causes memory loss.

Green tea now comes in both patch and liquid form.

Posted under Tea