India and China started with the cultivation of TEA which spread to almost all parts of the world. Tea certainly has many health benefits.

Usually one would look for a cup of tea, steaming hot with a flavour which makes us happy. I am talking of the tea which is added with milk and sugar. In fact there are three types of Tea—Green, Black and oolong.

Green tea is made from unfermented leaves. It has highest concentration of powerful antioxidants called as Polyphenols.

Antioxidants are substances that scavenge free radicals – damaging compounds in the body that alter cells, tamper with DNA (genetic material), and even cause cell death. Free radicals occur naturally in the body, but environmental toxins (including ultraviolet rays from the sun, radiation, cigarette smoke, and air pollution) also give rise to these damaging particles. Scientists believe that free radicals contribute to the aging process as well as the development of a number of health problems including cancer and heart disease. Antioxidants such as polyphenols in green tea can neutralize free radicals and may reduce or even help prevent some of the damage they cause.

Green tea has been consumed throughout the ages in India, China, Japan, and Thailand. In traditional Chinese and Indian medicine, practitioners used green tea as a stimulant, diuretic (to promote the excretion of urine), astringent (to control bleeding and help heal wounds), and to improve heart health. Other traditional uses of green tea include treating flatulence (gas), regulating body temperature and blood sugar, promoting digestion, and improving mental processes.

Green tea has been found useful for the following health conditions:

1. Atherosclerosis
Green tea may help prevent atherosclerosis, particularly coronary artery disease.

2. High cholesterol
Green tea lowers total cholesterol and raises HDL ("good") cholesterol Polyphenols in green tea may block the intestinal absorption of cholesterol and promote its excretion from the body. Green tea reduces blood levels of harmful LDL cholesterol.

3. Diabetes
Green tea has been used traditionally to control blood sugar in the body. Green tea may help regulate glucose in the body.

4. Liver disease
Studies have shown that men who drink more than 10 cups of green tea per day are less likely to develop disorders of the liver. Green tea seems to protect the liver from the damaging effects of toxic substances such as alcohol

5. Weight loss
Studies suggest that green tea extract may boost metabolism and help burn fat. One study confirmed that the combination of green tea and caffeine improved weight loss and maintenance in overweight and moderately obese individuals

6. Cancer
Green tea helps protect against cancer. Cancer rates tend to be low in countries such as Japan where people regularly consume green tea. Polyphenols in green tea may play an important role in the prevention of cancer. Researchers believe that polyphenols help kill cancerous cells and stop their progression.

There have been indications that Green Tea controls the growth of cancer cells in case of Bladder cancer, Breast cancer, Ovarian cancer, Colorectal cancer, Lung cancer, Pancreatic cancer, Skin cancer and Prostrate cancer.

Courtesy: www.umm.edu

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