Green Tea - Excellent Herbal Supplement

Green tea or camellia sinensis is popular tea in asia especially in china, japan, india,Pakistan and recently has become more popular in the West, which traditionally drank only black tea.It grows in tropical climate and requires rainfall of about 200cm.Green tea leaves dry quickly and therefore retains its anioxidant property that make green tea so popular as a dietary supplement. It has anti-viral, antioxidant, diuretic, expectorant, stimulant, stomachic, analgesic, astringent, cardio tonic, digestive, nerves stimulant, and carminative properties.There are three different type os green tea plants and more than 2000 varieties of tea.

Nutrients In Green Tea:

Green tea contains a number a number of bioactive chemicals, including caffeine (40 – 200 mg/liter)and fluoride(1.2-1.7 mg/liter), scientists are particularly interested in the potential health benefits of a class of compounds in tea known as flavonoids. In many cultures, tea is an important source of dietary flavonoids. Flavonoid(20% - 30%) are powerful antioxidants.They are polyphenol compounds.The major flavonoids in green tea are catechins , kaempferol,quecetin,myricitin and tannins .Among all catechins are very beneficial.A cup of green contains 90 mg of catechins .Subcategory of catechins are:

1.epigallocatechin-3-gallate(EGCG)(59%)
2.epigallocatechin(EGC)(19%)
3.epicatechin-3-gallate(ECG)(13.6%)
4. epicatechin (EC) (6.4%)

Catechins have many good effects on health like Antibacterial , ,Antimutagenic , Antiproliferative/Apoptotic , Antioxidant/Free Radical Scavenging, Antiangiogenic, Neuromuscular, Tumor Inhibition, and Immunomodulatory Effects.

Green tea also contains 20% to 30% of proteins of which amino acids are 1% - 5% which gives sweet and refreshing taste to green tea.It contain carbohygrates (35%),fat compound(5%),mineral elements(7%), and vitamins(0.6% to 1%) of which vitamin C is in high quantity.Organic acid and pigments are less than 3%.

ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTY OF GREEN TEA:

Human body is continuously producing harmful free radicals which interact with tissues and cause oxidation of tissues.This oxidation results in weak body and more susceptible to harmful disease and engage in aging our inner metabolism.The polyphenols compounds in green tea protects body fromm harmful free radicals and synergizes with other antioxidants to boost up the immune system and fights against diseases.It helps to prevent heart diseases and raise metabolism which in turn helps in reducing weight loss,preventing cancers and others with its super antioxidant properties.Green tea is used to regulate blood sugar and blood pressure, boost the immune system, prevent ulcers, control inflammation, viral colds and flu, prevents gum disease, cavities, and bad breath. It also been indicated for lowering cholesterol, preventing heart disease, osteoporosis and blood clots. Green tea maintains anti oxidant concentration in the body.

WEIGHT LOSS:

Green tea with lemon is widely used to help reducing weight.It reduce weight by increase in metabolism cause by polyphenols and discharging the toxins from the body.Green tea increase fat oxidation and accelerated the calorie generation.Thermogenesis process of green tea helps to attain good effects on blood pressure and heart.

DISEASE PREVENTION CANCER REDUCTION:

Studies have shown that catechin and gallecatechin in green tea helps to prevent body from diseases such as cancers,heart disease and stroke. Green tea catechins are potent antioxidants that provide health benefits beyond their ability to neutralize free radicals. Cancer starts when a sudden variation, under circumstances, happens in genes of a certain cell in the body. The cancer cells split and proliferate rapidly into carcinogenic tissues. Green tea suppress the sudden variation in genes or block tumor growth. 

The ability of green tea to prevent cancer is so well established that new studies are testing green tea as a potential cancer therapy. Green tea may be especially protective against lung cancer in former and current cigarette smokers. Its lung cancer protective effects are of significant importance based on new studies showing that former smokers are at greater risk for developing lung cancer than was previously thought. Topical applications of green tea extracts (EGCG) have protective effects on UVA and UVB-induced skin damage (photo aging and carcinogenesis).Vitamin E is green tea prevents cell and DNA damage.

ANTI ALLERGY AND ANTI INFLAMMATION:

Type 1 allergy process is activated when allergen comes in contact with the body ,white blood cells release IgE antibodies.These anti bodies release histamine which play as a chemical mediator causing allergy reactions like itching, redness, tenderness, warmth, coughing, swollen convulsions and so on. Researches show that Tea Polyphenols, especially its epigallocatechin gallate and epicatechin gallate, have strong anti-allergy effects by suppressing hypertrophy cells from releasing histamine.Green tea is beneficial in urticaria, vascular neural dropsy, allergic rhinitis, bronchial asthma, etc. 

GOOD FOR DIABETICS:

Starch in the body acted upon by amylase which breaks starch in glucose.Green tea inhibit the amylase action  by 87%.Normally sugar absorbed in body is transferred into energy and utilized. When sugar absorbed in body gets too high to be transferable and deposited in the blood, the blood sugar concentration may increase and lead to diabetes. One way to treat diabetesis is to suppress the activities of amylase and sucrase in the body so as to prevent the body from digesting and absorbing the amylum and extra sugar. The amylum and the extra sugar are finally excreted out of body, and consequently the increase of sugar concentration in the body is under the control. The important inhibitory action of enzymes is achieved  by polyphenols in green tea. Another compound in tea leaves, Tea Polysaccharide, can also effectively reduce blood sugar. It can be concluded that drinking tea has good effect on protection from diabetes.

ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTI VIRAL PROPERTY:

Green tea is commonly used in china to treat dysentery and diarrhea.Tea leave  have resistants to bacteria. Tea Polyphenols also show remarkable anti-virus function against flu virus, enterogastritis virus. Tea Polyphenols prevent the virus from affecting cells and cause apoptosis in the affected cells. Investigations show that rinsing the mouth with tea water can prevent influenza. Green tea also prevent against bacterial infection of teeth and gums.  Lowest concentration (MIC) of 1000ug/ml epigallocatechin gallate is enough to effectively suppress the growth of dental caries bacteria. Periodontities can be well prevented by drinking tea frequently or rinsing the mouth with tea water after food. Polyphenols can get rid of bad breath in the mouth, caused by some food or diseases from oral cavity, digestion system or breath system. Therefore, TP extraction is nowadays used in toothpastes and chewing gums. Fluorides in green tea prevent dental caries.

TREAT HEMOCHROMATOSIS:

Patients of hemochromatosis have large amount of iron deposits in the bogy and this damage their heart,liver,eyes,kidneys and other organs of the body.High contents of flavovoids helps in lowering the excessive iron in the body by limiting the iron absorption in these patients.

TREAT RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS:

 Studies have shown that if you consume approximately four cups of green tea a day you may be able to protect yourself from developing arthritis, and if you already have arthritis, consuming green tea can help to diminish the inflammation it causes. This function of green tea are due to polyphenols especially catechins.

PREVENT HEART DISEASES:

Green tea as mentioned earlier by the process of thermogenesis lower the body cholesterol and therefore prevents from artherosclerosis of arteries supplying blood to the heart.Myocardial infarctions and brain stroke can be prevented by taking green tea daily.  The formation of abnormal blood clots (thrombosis) is the leading cause of heart attack and stroke, and green tea has been shown to inhibit abnormal blood clot formation as effectively as aspirin. When looking at coagulation risk factors in the blood, green tea specifically inhibits platelet aggregation and adhesion via effects that differ from those of aspirin.  First, green tea inhibits thromboxane A2 formation, as does aspirin. Second, green tea inhibits another clotting agent called platelet activating factor (PAF). Reducing thromboxane A2 levels is highly desirable. Thromboxane not only causes arterial blood clots, but also causes arterial constriction. The inhibition of thromboxane can prevent a heart attack or a thrombotic stroke. 

 Green tea also has been shown to elevate levels of HDL, the good cholesterol that helps remove atherosclerotic plaque from arterial walls. Epidemiological studies have shown that taking 3 cups of green tea daily prevents from myocardial infarction.Vascular dilation in the body is by nitric oxide in the endothelial cells which prevent arteries occlusion.Studies show that green tea vasodilate the vessels.Daily consumption of 4-5 cups (900-1250 ml) of black tea for four weeks significantly improved endothelium-dependent vasodilation in patients with coronary artery disease and patients with mildly elevated serum cholesterol levels compared with the equivalent amount of caffeine alone or hot water.

ANTI HYPERTENSIVE:

Green tea helps in lowering the blood pressure.As the aging continuous the elasticity of the arteries decrease which makes them rigid and tends to high blood pressure.Thromboxane inhibition by green tea not only causes vasodilatation but also allow the normal flow.Green tea inhibits the angiotensin converting enzymes (ACE) which is release by kidneys and lowers the blood pressure.  Epigallocatechin gallate in green tea is the most effective one, the second one is epicatechin gallate. 

ANTI DEPRESSANT PROPERTY:

Frequent use of green tea treat the symptoms of depression.Studies have shown that 3 to 4 cups of green tea helps treating mild to severe depression.It also helps in lowering stress hormones.

BEST FOR SKIN:

Green tea anti bacterial properties help prevent skin acne.It also purify the skin and give a pink glow by vasodilatation of facial capillaries and throw out the toxins out from the skin.  Rejuvenate and delay the process of aging. Skin dying cells could be energised, skin condition could be improved to benefit psoriasis, rosascea, wrinkles and wounds by drinking green tea. Anti-aging skin benefits through collagenase inhibition and anti-inflammation.  Helps diminish irritation associated with AHA and BHA products. Green Tea Solution 1% and 5% in 50:50 Butylene Glycol/Water Solution also useful in cosmetic formulas. Many big cosmetioc industries are using green tea in skincare formulas.Various lotions,shampoos,facewash,face scrubs etc contain green tea as the main ingredient.

HELPS IN CLEARING BODY WASTES:

Urea whichis the waste product produce by the detoxification of ammonia in the liver is excreted by the kidney in urine.If some problems associated with kidney or increase in its productions occurs then green tea helps to treat uremia by suppressing the production of uremic toxic(methyguanidine).

VITAMINS IN GREEN TEA:

Vitamins present in green tea act as catalyst in various good reaction it the body and anti oxidant.Green tea contains high quantity of Vitamin C therefore good for blood, ,bones, tissues ,skin, joints etc.

CONCLUSION:

Green tea have so many benefit on human health that I am sure after knowing so much properties you will not wait to grab Your green tea pack.Green teas is better and beneficial then other drinks like carbonated beverages.Green tea is available with many brand names in the market.I personally like Lipton green tea especially with jasmine because of it refreshing flavor and aroma.Green tea is a very good natural body guard of human body.