What is the Gossip on Green Tea and Health Benefits?
April 30, 2010
Do green tea and health benefits go hand in hand? The answer depends on how much caffeine you are getting, total every day. If increased consumption pushes you over the 500mg per day mark, then you may expect to experience insomnia, rapid heart beat, nervousness, anxiety, high blood pressure and other health problems.
A little caffeine is okay. Moderation is the basic key to drinking or eating anything. I’m not particularly a fan of the beverage, but I do want the benefit, so I choose to take a multi-nutritional supplement that contains it. That might be the best choice for you, too.
Studies concerning green tea and health benefits that may accompany it were mostly conducted using the extract. Found within the leaves are unique antioxidants called catechins and polyphenols, such as Gallic acid. Gallic acid is abundant in various medicinal plants, including witch hazel and oak bark.
Catechins are abundant in teas derived from camellia plants and are present to a lesser extent in some cocoas and chocolates. It is because of the catechin-content that some dark chocolates are advertised as “healthy”.
The antioxidant content found in plants varies depending on their age and where they are grown. The better supplement manufacturers test the raw ingredients for catechin-potency and list the amount of catechins that are present in the extracts that they use.
The bottled beverages that you see in stores contain few, if any catechins. The amount that can be found in home-brewed teas will depend on the steep time, the longer the better. But, the only way to get a reasonable standardized amount every day is through supplementation.
The results concerning green tea and health benefits have all been very promising. Here’s a quick look at some of them.
- Inhibits growth of cancerous tumors
- Reduces risk of certain types of cancer
- Reduces risk of heart disease
- Increases fat oxidation and insulin sensitivity during exercise
- Improves cognitive function, may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease
- Beneficial in treating Crohn’s disease
- Reduces DNA damage from free radicals
- Reduces inflammation, relieves arthritis
If memory serves me, those are the primary benefits. Other antioxidants, such as resveratrol, have similar affects. Other natural anti-inflammatories, such as alpha lipoic acid, carnosine and turmeric are also valuable.
Judging by all of this research, it appears that green tea and health benefits do go hand in hand. But, if we want to live long healthy lives, we need to focus on “optimal” nutrition. Despite what some people in the health industry may say, there is no way to get all of the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that you need every day, without supplementation.
Vitamin D deficiencies are on the rise and play a role in osteoporosis and other age-related diseases. Doctors aren’t likely to check for nutritional deficiencies, unless someone has acute symptoms. They ignore the chronic symptoms, such as fatigue and depression. Now that you know a little more about green tea and health benefits that accompany it, you might want to learn more about how you can protect your long-term health. If you have a few minutes to spare, please feel free to take a look at my website now.
Gordon Hall
http://www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/what-is-the-gossip-on-green-tea-and-health-benefits-722443.html
Have Control Over Your Body; Drink Detox Tea Daily
April 27, 2010
The more the world is getting invaded by the environmental pollutants; more the people are leaning towards the alternative means of treatments. The detoxification is one of the major therapies that have sparked off hope among the people of disease torn world of today.
The detoxification as process uses a number of tools. Several kinds of herbs are most important among them. These herbs support and enhance the healthy functioning of all the major detox organs like liver, kidneys, colon, skin and lungs for maximum detoxification.
These herbs are often consumed as supplements, but there are many more that are used to prepare detox friendly and tasteful herbal tea. Here re the descriptions of some well known herbs used for making herbal tea.
Milk thistle
This is a very well known ingredient to be found in almost all households. The milk thistle seeds are particularly good for lever detoxification. Apart from being used as a protector of entire digestive system including liver, gall bladder and spleen, the milk thistle seeds help you to detox after alcohol consumption.
Dandelion root
Another very well known herb is dandelion. It is also a liver friendly herb. Its magical diuretic properties stimulate the liver to eliminate toxins from the blood. The high potassium content makes dandelion a balanced diuretic. It is also good in clearing obstructions from the spleen, pancreas, gall bladder, bladder and kidneys.
Hibiscus flower
This exotic flower has a strong tonical value and had been in use in Egypt for thousands of years as a healer in stomach ailments. It also comes with laxative properties and thus good for colon detoxification.
Fenugreek seed
If you feel congested all the time or suffer from the bouts of cough and cold, drink the tea made with fenugreek seeds. This herb would support your lung by helping expel mucous and phlegm from the bronchial tubes. This herb works magically in healing with lung infection and helps expel toxic wastes through the lymphatic system. When mixed with milk thistle, Fenugreek boosts up liver functions.
Ginger root
We are all familiar with the exotic flavor of ginger, but little we know about the therapeutic qualities of ginger roots. It has a cleansing effect on the bowels, kidneys and skin. It also works as a stimulant for the circulatory system.
You can combine a number of herbs to make your customized detox tea and drink it up in the morning to help the body continue its cleansing process throughout the day for a complete cleanse.
Barney Garcia
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/have-control-over-your-body-drink-detox-tea-daily-66354.html
Discover the Amazing Green Tea Extract Benefits and Help Safeguard Your Health
April 27, 2010
This fantastic herb has been used in China for over 4000 years, but here in the West we are only just discovering it! The Chinese have known all along the many green tea extract benefits and have been using it in their medicine.
Green tea is full of antioxidants, which can help fight off and prevent many forms of cancer for starters. Many studies have proven the beneficial health properties and green tea extract benefits seem to increase on a daily basis.
Many studies have concluded that another of the green tea extract benefits is lowering your cholesterol levels. It has been found to lower the LDL (bad) levels and maintain the HDL (good) levels, therefore helping to reduce the hardening of our arteries for one thing.
Other benefits include boosting the immune system, helping us to catch fewer colds and the flu, and even as an aid in dieting by boosting our metabolism.
So this is quite an amazing extract, and for it to really reach its potential, it should be combined with other nutrients and herbs in a natural supplement. This is because of synergy.
When combined with the right ingredients, the green tea extract benefits are significantly enhanced compared to if it was taken as a standalone pill, as it positively reacts with the other nutrients. Ginger and olive leaf are a good example of this.
Another good point is that when taken in the form of a supplement, you don’t get any caffeine or its side effects as all good quality ones are decaffeinated.
You also don’t have to worry about the preparation of the tea, and getting the correct dosage, as with all things too much is not good, especially where green tea is concerned. Also the decaff tea is not recommended as the process of decaffeinating strips it of many of its health benefits.
Make no mistake about it, the green tea extract health benefits are proven and numerous but are only fully effective when combined with other synergistic ingredients, to really give your health a boost, and help safeguard it for the future too.
Make sure you look for a high quality, combined supplement, which only uses the very best and natural ingredients to get your green tea extract benefits.
If you would like to learn more about the synergistic products which I personally take, which include green tea, why not visit my website.
Ray Hamilton
http://www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/discover-the-amazing-green-tea-extract-benefits-and-help-safeguard-your-health-746275.html
Why Tea and Chocolate are Good for your Health
April 24, 2010
Tea and chocolate… You’re probably wondering if those two can really be good for you, aren’t you? After all, chocolate has a lot of calories and tea has caffeine.
Allow me to explain how these two can be good for you.
A Pennsylvania State-led review (done in 2002) of the available 66 published studies, supports the view that consuming flavonoid-rich tea and/or chocolate, in moderation, can be associated with the reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.
Tea, without milk or sugar, does not contain any calories and contains plenty of antioxidant flavonoids. Tea can be added to your diet without increasing your weight. A chocolate cookie that also contains fruits and nuts along with the tea (remember to practice moderation) may be a heart healthy snack.
On this planet, there isn’t just one food that can be absorbed singly and give us everything that our body needs. A balance has to be achieved amongst all kinds of food. Both, tea and chocolate, which are plant foods (let’s not forget that one!), can be included as part of a healthy diet. But chocolate has to be eaten in moderation (because of its high-calories) along with other flavonoid-rich plant foods, such as fruits and vegetables.
It is widely known that tea contains flavonoids, however, watch out for chocolate. The amount of flavonoids in commercial chocolates will vary greatly from one kind to another. Some might not contain any flavonoids while others might contain a good amount.
Note: The research in regards to flavonoids and all of their health benefits are still in progress. Hence, the amount of flavonoids chocolate contains is rarely written on the ingredients of a chocolate bar. In order to make sure that you do get chocolate that is flavonoid-rich, I suggest that you stick with chocolates that are of high quality as high quality ingredients are usually used.
Although weight gain is a possible side-effect of eating chocolate, the increase of “bad” cholesterol is not. It has been noted that the major form of fat in chocolate is stearic acid. Stearic acid is a cholesterol-neutral when it is presented in a diet in moderate amounts. So don’t worry about getting “bad” cholesterol as long as you eat good-quality chocolate in moderation!
Don’t forget, this isn’t a green light to go on a chocolate binge!
In conclusion, studies on tea and chocolate support the concept that the consumption of flavonoid-rich foods may be beneficial to your health.
Audrey Coriou
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/why-tea-and-chocolate-are-good-for-your-health-121654.html
Could Green Tea Provide A Cure For Cancer?
April 24, 2010
Cancer is a complex, devastating illness which is responsible for the deaths of millions of people each year. For decades, scientists have been attempting to uncover some of the secrets of cancer in order to find a cure. While, so far, a cure has been out of reach, there appear to be some natural remedies which can prevent or slow cancer growth. One of those remedies is a beverage which is commonplace in many Asian households-tea.
The History of an Anti-Cancer Tool
Tea has been a dietary staple for 500,000 years. People in India and China appear to be among the first to have enjoyed this beloved beverage. But it’s one variety in particular-Camellia sinensis-which appears to have a number of health benefits associated with it. That variety is also known as green tea.
What Makes Green Tea Special
Green tea is unique in that it is produced from unfermented leaves and it contains a high concentration of polyphenols, which are chemicals that can serve as antioxidants. Antioxidants are essentially on a search-and-destroy mission against free radicals, compounds which compromise DNA and destroy cells. Free radicals are often to blame for the development of cancer as well as heart disease. The antioxidants immobilize free radicals and inhibit the damage often associated with them.
Medicinal Uses of Green Tea
For years, Asians have used green tea to promote a healthy lifestyle. It helps to promote good digestion, improve concentration, and promote the excretion of urine. In addition, a number of studies in human beings, animals, and in laboratories suggest that green tea can be effective in combating a number of ailments.
Green Tea’s Effect on Cancer of the Pancreas and Colon
In an article entitled, “Green Tea Consumption and the Risk of Pancreatic and Colorectal Cancers,” researchers B.T. Ji, W.H. Chow, A.W. Hsing, J.K. McLaughlin, Q. Dai, Y.T. Gao, W.J. Blot, and J.F. Fraumeni, Jr. examined the question of green tea’s effectiveness as an antidote to certain types of cancers.
The Columbia University researchers conceded that the effect of green tea on cancer risk is uncertain, although a number of animal studies seem to indicate a positive effect.
In order to test the hypothesis that drinking green tea can, in fact, lessen cancer risk, the researchers conducted an extensive study in Shanghai, China in order to see whether green tea consumption had any impact on cancers of the colon, rectum, and pancreas.
The research team found that the greater the consumption of green tea, the lesser the risk of cancer. As a result, it appears that green tea may, in fact, lower the incidence of both colorectal and pancreatic cancers. Yet, it should be noted that other similar studies have produced conflicting results. As a result, scientists recommend additional research before a definitive statement can be made about green tea as a colorectal cancer prevention tool.
As far as pancreatic cancer is concerned, another study showed that those individuals who consumed the most green tea were far less likely to develop the disease. It appears that the reduced risk is most pronounced in women, who cut their pancreatic cancer rate in half by drinking large amounts of green tea.
In contrast, male green tea drinkers were 37 percent less likely to develop the disease. However, it should be noted that it is impossible to tell from this particular study whether green tea was solely responsible for cutting pancreatic cancer risk.
Green Tea and Other Cancers
But what about other cancers? How effective has green tea been in preventing other forms of the disease? To begin with, cancer rates are often lower in Japan and other nations where green tea consumption is high. Animal studies also indicate that the polyphenols in green tea are effective antioxidants which kill cancerous cells, stopping them in their tracks.
A study of bladder cancer patients found that those who consumed green tea had a much better five-year survival rate than cancer patients who did not drink the beverage. In addition, animal studies appear to confirm that the chemicals in green tea stop the growth of breast cancer cells.
One study of nearly 500 women with breast cancer found that those who drank green tea did not see their cancer spread as much as those who did not consume green tea. Yet, those who were in the later stages of breast cancer who drank green tea saw little or no improvement in their condition.
Animal studies also indicate that green tea can prevent the growth of cancer cells in the esophagus. But studies in human beings have yielded mixed results. For instance, one study showed that green tea could help prevent esophageal cancer-especially in women, while another indicated that the tea could actually increase the incidence of such cancer.
Consequently, additional research is needed before scientists can determine conclusively whether green tea can act as a cancer preventative.
The effects of green tea on lung and prostate cancer remain unclear. However, the beverage does seem to prevent the onset of skin cancer. There is also some evidence to suggest that it can inhibit the growth of stomach cancer cells.
It appears that green tea may be effective in the fight against inflammatory bowel disease. This is significant because people who suffer from this disease are at a greater risk for colon cancer. Specifically, green tea appears to reduce the inflammation characteristic of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, two forms of inflammatory bowel disease.
Green Tea and Chemotherapy
There have been lab tests to indicate that green tea can improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs such as doxorubicin and tamoxifen. But the positive effect has not yet been demonstrated in studies of human beings. In fact, green tea and green tea extracts are not recommended for prostate cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy.
The Final Word
Although scientific studies at this point are not altogether conclusive, there is strong evidence to suggest that green tea can be effective in preventing cancer. That may be particularly true for colorectal and pancreatic cancers. At this point, a number of doctors agree that, for most people, the health benefits of drinking green tea far outweigh the risks.
Marcus Stout
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/could-green-tea-provide-a-cure-for-cancer-99892.html
