Green and White Tea

Is there any other food or drink that has reportedly as many benefits to health as green tea? The Chinese are familiar with the medicinal benefits of green tea since ancient times. Green tea is good for everything, from headache to depression. Some sources say that green tea has been used as a medicine in China for at least 4000 years.

The secret of green tea lies in the fact that it is rich in polyphenols and catechins, especially epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). The following is claimed: EGCG is a powerful antioxidant: in addition to inhibiting cancer cell growth, cancer cells kill without adverse effects on healthy tissues. It is also said to be effective in lowering LDL cholesterol, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots. The last would ad value when you think that thrombosis (the formation of abnormal blood clots) is the main cause of heart attacks and strokes.

Couplings are made between the effects of drinking green tea and the "French Paradox." For years, the researchers were amazed by the fact that, despite eating a diet rich in fat, the French have a lower rate of cardiovascular disease than the Americans. The response turned out to be in red wine, which contains resveratrol, a polyphenol that limits the negative effects of smoking and a fat diet. In a 1997 study, researchers at the University of Kansas found that EGCG is twice as powerful as resveratrol. That can explain why among Japanese men the occurrence of cardiovascular disease is quite low, although about seventy-five percent are smokers.