Ever wonder why people in China and Japan have such relatively low rates of heart disease, cancer and other chronic aliments? Might be because they drink so much green tea.
Tea is widely recognized as a rich source of healthful antioxidants called catechins. Tea is produced from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. The leaves are picked, rolled, dried and heated. Back tea leaves are left to ferment and oxidize as well. Green tea leaves are not. This may explain why green tea leaves contain more antioxidants than do black tea leaves. White tea, made from young tea leaves, has even more antioxidants but is harder to find and is more expensive.
Hundreds of studies have been conducted on the effect of green tea consumption. Most of the studies indicate a strong link between drinking green tea and health benefits. In one study, for example, of 18,000 Chinese men, the tea drinkers (who primarily drank green tea) were half as likely to develop stomach or esophageeal cancer as the men who drank little tea. Other studies in Asia have shown a linkage reduced risks for bladder, colon, prostate, breast, and pancreatic cancers and green tea consumption. It appears that at least three cups of green tea is needed to achieve the healthful benefits of drinking green tea.
Want to learn more about the health benefits of drinking green tea? Read Lester Mitscher, PhD's, book The Green Tea Book: The Science-backed "Miracle Cure".
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