Asian Food Health Benefits: Green Tea

If you’ve been looking for a drink that not only tastes good but is good for you, try a glass of green tea.Green tea has been used for medicinal purposes in China for at least 4,000 years.Not only does it have a long history in Asian culture but it is also thought to be highly beneficial to a person’s health.Today we thought we’d highlight just a few of the many health benefits that researchers believe result from drinking green tea.

The following is a sampling of health benefits:

Reduces the risk of:

• Cancer
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• High cholesterol levels
• Cardiovascular disease
• Infection
• Impaired immune function

Studies have been conducted and research has been done regarding the benefits of green tea.Researchers have looked at green tea’s potential to fight cancer and heart disease.It is also thought to play a role in lowering cholesterol as well as preventing diabetes, stroke and dementia.What is it in this particular drink that makes it so beneficial?It’s the antioxidants that are found in the green tea that work to eliminate DNA that causes certain diseases.You may already be familiar with antioxidants as they are also highly concentrated in grapes, berries, red wine and dark chocolate.

A few more facts about green tea and its health benefits:

• Green tea is green because it is not fermented.
• Green tea retains more health benefits than black tea because the fermentation process used to make black teas causes the destruction of many nutrients.
• All teas contain the potent antioxidants known as polyphenols, but green tea contains the most potent forms.
• Green tea has been shown to increase calorie burning and fat oxidation.
• Epigallo catechin gallate (EGCG) is the most important active component in green tea, and it is many times a more powerful antioxidant than vitamin C or vitamin E.
  *Facts from http://www.cupofgreentea.com/green-tea-facts.htm

Do you drink green tea? Do you know more about the drink’s health benefits than what we’ve posted here? Let us know by commenting on this post.